Broken Promises, Sealed Lips
by hyperangel64
Summary: A casual promise, made and broken by Natsu, was the trigger for tragedy. Aside from the master, Gray and her spirits, nobody knows, or cares, about the real circumstances of Lucy Heartphilia.  And who is the young boy who despises Natsu 11 years later?r r
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys! I'm writing another Fairy Tail story! Yaaaaaaaaaay! Don't be fooled by the prologue though people, this is NOT a humorous story and may lead to a few tears in the eyes.

Written and edited by moi

Enjoy!

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not, and I never did, own the original Fairy Tail. Mashima Hiro is the genius behind that

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

**...  
><strong>

Lucy and Natsu had just finished another mission and were content in lying on the ground, looking at the stars.

"Hey Luce" Natsu said softly to his best friend "If by some weird reason, I might have left you behind on a mission, would you still trust me?"

Lucy leaned up to look at Natsu, giving him a weird look. "What made you ask that? That's a little deep isn't it?"

The pink haired boy grinned as he clasped her hand tightly. "Just answer the question!"

"Well of course! We're partners dummy. Why? Would you call me a traitor and break my heart if it happened to you?"

"Hmmmmmm... it depends"

"NATSU!" Lucy scowled deeply at the person beside her and proceeded to pinch him wherever she could. This was a difficult task as the person being pinched was all muscle, no flab.

Unable to hold in a chuckle, Natsu gathered Lucy in his arms for a loose hug and continued to stare at the sky. Lucy shuffled to get into a better position before sighing happily.

"I would never lose my trust in you Lucy. I love you." Natsu whispered huskily and started to stroke the girls back. "If there was ever a time that you disappeared on a mission, I would wait patiently for you to return, I promise. Never doubt me Lucy, that in itself would break my heart."

In reply, Lucy raised her arms and wrapped them round her boyfriend's neck, kissing him softly. As well as being best friends, the two had finally confessed their feelings the week before. They became inseparable, as new couples were, and were approved by the entire guild.

"I'll hold you to that promise Natsu"

It was the first and last time the young couple joined as lovers before the tragedy occurred, a tragedy that broke them apart and tested Natsu's real feelings behind a promise that may have broke them apart forever.

**...To Be Continued...**


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER ONE

6 months later

...

The guild was silent as Lucy entered. It had been three months since she had disappeared and speculations had gone around, nothing was good. She nervously walked towards her boyfriend who had his head down with a glaring Lisanna beside him, hoping to hear his cheerful voice.

"Natsu..." At her voice, Natsu raised his head suddenly to stare at her. Looking at her wounded body he sneered nastily.

"So your happy ever after was never true huh? What happened with your prince?" At this Lucy flinched. They said it was going to turn out like this, said she still suffer while laughing at her pitiful form as she tried to escape. "Did he find you to be the bitch you really are HUH?"

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" At her outbreak, she received more glares than before. Lisanna stood up and took a threatening step towards her. "Natsu please listen to me! I didn't abandon you! I promise I wasn't part of what happened! You have to believe me!"

SLAP

The sound resounded throughout the whole guild like a bomb. Lisanna stood in front of Lucy, her hand still held up, as if about to deliver another blow.

"So you're saying that I didn't walk in and see Natsu half dead on the floor? If you weren't part of the plan, WHERE WERE YOU? Why take so long to come back? Afraid, scared? GUILTY?" At the last word, Lisanna slapped her so hard she fell. Nobody moved to stop the attack, or even help. Lucy did not have the strength to lift herself off the ground, staring pleadingly towards Natsu.

"Please Natsu, you have to help me..."

"Oh, so you need help now? Why should I help you when all I will get is betrayal in return?"

"NATSU! Please, you have to believe me!" The boy just looked at the scene before him emotionlessly. There was no hurt, no anger left on his face. It was like a punch to Lucy's guts, his lack of feelings showing the end of their relationship. "What about the promise Natsu? What happened to the trust?"

"What promise? You really think I would promise to trust a whore like yourself?" His smirk was the final straw. Understanding that she was never going to be heard above the rumours, Lucy lost confidence and belief. Showing no pain in her expression, she got to her feet slowly and stared at the man she loved with all her heart. The man she would still love after this incident.

"I understand"

...

Natsu stared in front of him, shocked. He had expected a big confrontation, expected Lucy to beg for him to take her back to the point of sobbing. He had not expected the tired look in her eyes, or a face wiped of any feelings. In her state, he had predicted her not even able to stand up; forget about walking out of the guild again, with her head held high.

"I understand" Her last statement spoke of finality, the last thing he had wanted. However, her own actions had caused this. Natsu shook his head to clear it of any guilt; Yes, Lucy had caused this by betraying her guild, her friends, and her so called _love_. She deserved the pain and the anger towards her.

Grimly, he got to his feet and headed towards the door.

"Hey, where you goin'?" Macao had noticed his actions. "You gonna apologise or somethin'?"

Several members murmured nastily at that comment. Natsu himself just bared his teeth at the thought, finding humour in Lucy's pain.

"No, just gonna warn the bitch never to come back!" His words were reflected in the slam of the door and the cheer of the crowd.

...

"Lucy!"

At the call of her name, Lucy turned back to see Natsu following her. Tamping down any hopes, she waited for him to stop beside her and speak.

"So you gave up huh? Knew that it wouldn't do you any good?" Lucy smiled resignedly, she knew it was too good to be true; however she didn't speak, just waited patiently for Natsu to carry on. "I just came to let you know that the guild does not welcome you back."

Ah! The reason came at last. Chuckling humourlessly to herself, she just stared at the man in front of her and waited for more.

"I couldn't care less what happens to you but even if you might die, don't come back. We won't help you in any way, shape or form. You are nothing to us now and will remain nothing for the rest of your life." With everything said Natsu glanced at Lucy, surprised to see no reaction.

"Did you really expect me to come back? Wow, you really never did trust me did you?" looking ahead of her, Lucy swallowed a sob and knew she could not hold up a brave front any longer. She sharply turned back to the road and started her journey forward again.

"_I will never return, even if you beg me to."_

She continued on and turned to walk down an alleyway to release anymore tears in the quiet and the dark. After some time, she noticed another presence beside her.

"Who is it?"

Gray stepped into the light, watching her emotionlessly as he blocked the way behind him with an ice wall.

"I've heard Natsu and Lisanna's story of what happened on the mission, but I won't believe it until I hear yours. Did you really plan Natsu's death?"

Lucy shook her head, not bothering to wipe the evidence of tears. She took in a shaky breath and knew that Gray may be her saviour if he did believe her.

"I can tell you my side of the story, but only if you first promise to help me."

Continuing to look at the person in front of him, Gray thought of what the promise may be. The frantic shaking displayed a genuine fear for something and he knew it was the only way to figure out the truth.

"Tell me first, what is it you want me to help you with?"

"Protect Natsu's baby after I die."

To Be Continued

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><p>GASP!<p>

Oh my gosh , the TENSION! Lol anyway for the people who may not get this chapter. The truth will be revealed soon. Just support this story by reading as I update and hopefully I will get the next chapter ready in a few days

Au Revoir!


	3. Chapter 3

A/n: Hey people! I know I'm updating this story a lot. It's just that I want to get all my ideas on paper before I forget it!

Anyway, Natsu may a little OOC in the last chapter, but just remember, though he is very kind to his nakama, he is harsh with anyone he hates. I'm writing this while using that same hatred towards Lucy and you will understand why when you read ahead.

Before you start reading, please look at this fairy tail mv on youtube. Whoever made this is a genius!

[youtube].com/watch?v=AnEBpVk7z54&feature=watch_response

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

...

"Protect Natsu's baby after I die."

Gray stood silently as he processed the information. Natsu had a child? He then noticed Lucy's hands cradling her stomach. The loose shirt she wore covered what had, before then, not been visible. Lucy appeared to be heavily pregnant with a child. Gray was unwilling to believe whatever he was seeing.

"What baby?" His statement came out harsher than he had intended. He knew of delicate situations but he had not anticipated that Lucy would resolve to more tears from his attitude.

"I knew it! You don't believe me, do you? This wasn't my fault; I didn't try to kill Natsu! I promise!" she cried hysterically while tightening her arms around her belly. The sight before him took on a new meaning as he refocused on the bruises and cuts all over her body. Unable to stand her tears and scared over her situation, he knelt beside her and gently shook her shoulder.

"I'm sorry Lucy; I didn't mean to be so harsh. Just tell me what's going on. Are you carrying Natsu's child?" he received a nod in reply as Lucy struggled to catch enough breath to carry on.

"... d...dat..ting." Gray knew this but remained patient. "ss..six.. m..months p..regnant..." He nodded while filing away this piece of information. Seeing her struggle to catch breath, he crushed a few pieces of ice which he fed slowly as a way of quenching her thirst. After a few moments, Lucy calmed down enough to talk coherently.

"They know it's his baby, they tried to take it away for the magic. They tried to kill it Gray! They tried to kill my baby!" Understanding enough, Gray wrapped his arms around her to stop her talking. His anger prevented any words of comfort he patted her back instead. As she fell asleep, he noticed her set of keys glowing. Reaching for them, Gray felt a large amount of magic leave his fingertips as Loki appeared.

"How's Lucy?" Loki's frantic figure spoke volumes, as did his lack of appearance before this moment. On seeing his resting master, he relaxed enough to look Gray in the eye and judge his intentions. Satisfied with Gray's sincerity, Loki took Lucy into his arms as he kicked down the ice wall. "I'll tell you the full story, but first, we need to get Lucy home."

...

After seeing to Lucy's health, Loki closed the bedroom door and stood to watch his old partner.

"How did Natsu react?" He immediately regretted the question when he saw Gray's reaction, trying to tamp down on his anger as he asked "How bad?"

"..." Gray could not answer his friend's questions, knowing what danger Natsu would be in if he did and, as much as he did mess up with Lucy, Gray still considered him a friend. Instead, he tried to focus on the truth behind it all. "What exactly happened Loki? And how did everything get so out of hand?"

"I take it that you know of Lucy's pregnancy?" When Loki received a firm nod, he continued. "A dark guild had targeted her when they came to know of this. No, I don't know how they found out or who they are, but what I do know is that they are aiming to gain dragon slayer magic whatever the method. From what we spirits could feel in the celestial realm, they had staged the mission and, at some point, separated Lucy from Natsu and Happy. I cannot tell how they did it but they had blocked our entrance to this world; what I could make out was that whatever they did had left Lucy with minimum magic in her body. In fact, it is a surprise that she could walk and respond with the energy left. "

"If what you said is true, how did you appear before us now?" Before Loki could continue, a flash appeared from the set of keys still in Gray's hand. He slowly handed them to Loki who in turn waved them in the air and summoned the rest of Lucy's spirits to the human world. Gray felt another surge of magic disappear from his body, leaving him gasping for breath.

"We apologise for using your magic Gray-sama, but it is the only way to access this world." Virgo stepped forward as she answered the man's question. "However, we are also in dire need of the guild master's assistance. He may be the only one who can save the princess and her child. As brother has told you, Lucy is left with next to no magic. In normal circumstances, this is not fatal and will only lead to a person living without magic for several weeks. The problem comes from the babe in her womb."

Unable to comprehend what the servant was saying, Gray waited for further information. "As this is Master Natsu's child, there are special circumstances that have to be present before the babe can be ensured a safe delivery. The first is that, as a child born of dragon slayer magic, it will take 2 months longer than a normal babe to develop hence making it an 11 month pregnancy instead of 9. The second is that it is born of a magician mother, wherein which the babe will feed itself on the mother's magic together with its nutrients. Dragon slayer children are born physically stronger than most babies because of the strength of the magic inside them. Should a child not develop as well inside the womb, it can lead to the magic overtaking the body and killing the babe during labour. Premature birthing will result in the death of both the mother and child as the babe has not controlled the magic enough to remain in its own body"

Finally gathering what was being said, Gray looked up in horror at the spirits. "But Lucy doesn't have any magic right now!"

"She herself knows that and is worrying of the consequence. The baby is in the sixth month of development and is at a very crucial stage right now. What we are asking from you is to ask for Makarov's immediate presence. We beg of you. He may know of a method to protect Lucy's magic source and allow the baby to take in another source of magic as it develops."

"There is no need to call me." The group turned back to see Makarov entering the room looking seriously at the spirits. "I suspected foul play and had encouraged Natsu to refuse the mission 3 months before, which he did not heed to. I did not hear of this evening's incident until ten minutes ago when I returned from the Guild Master's meeting." He stood quietly for a moment before opening the door to Lucy's room, asking for privacy.

...

Ninety minutes later, he emerged looking grave and weary.

"Well?" Everyone looked to the Master who had bloodshot eyes.

"You must all swear secrecy. Under no circumstance will you reveal this to anybody, do you understand?"

Gray paused at this, asking "What about Natsu?"

"Especially not Natsu" Makarov looked to his guild member "I understand that you may feel guilty for keeping this a secret from him, but you have to remember, Natsu chose the mission but does not choose to trust Lucy and blames her for the attack. In return, Lucy does not wish to reveal her secret to him. Whether it be one day, or ten years you cannot tell anyone of her situation unless they stumble upon it. Do. You. Understand?" The group nodded their agreement as he resumed his explanation.

"I have decided to send Lucy to a small magic country that I know of. There I have a mage doctor who I have gotten in touch with and has agreed to help."

"Can Porlyusica not heal Lucy?" Aquarius had volunteered the question.

"No she cannot. Though Porlyusica can help heal mages through potions, she is originally an Edolas citizen hence cannot produce her own magic. She also does not have the skill required to perform this operation." The Master took a deep breath and continued on "From what Sapphire could tell, the only way for both mother and child to survive is for Lucy to be sealed in magic for the remaining period of her pregnancy. This draws magic stored for her future to use immediately. Caesarean section and the baby will hopefully be born strong and healthy." Smiles and relief was present all around as they received the good news.

"However, there is a drawback." The talks stopped as they listened to what Makarov had to say "there will be no immediate effect, but the use up of future magic will take its toll on Lucy. It is predicted that her body's way of fighting will be to shut down. She will fall into a coma to restore her energy. No one knows when this will happen and no one knows for how long. She may take years to heal or she may only sleep for a day. Because of this, she and the child will remain with Sapphire for the first ten years to be watched over; the child will be hidden from the magic world and cannot be discovered. Should she fall into a long coma, Sapphire only has the provisions to keep her for the first 3 years. I have made plans to bring her home after this period.

All I am asking is for you to support my decision in going forward with this choice. You cannot accompany her to the destination but I would like you all to be ready for the time when the child may have to return alone. Gray" Makarov turned to the man in question "I would like to place you as the guardian, making sure that the dark guild do not gain access to this child. I would also ask that the spirits enter into a new contract with you in Lucy's absence. Should she remain in a coma for a long period of time, it will be your duty to train with the child and teach him spiritual magic."

"Is there no other solution to this problem, Master?" Loki asked into the following silence " I understand that this may be a life or death situation but can we not rely on another person's magic? I'm willing to give my magic!"

"There is no other solution. Even I am willing to give away my magic but it is not compatible with the embryo. The only thing to do now is agree with this and pray." He looked for any more objections. On seeing nothing else he concluded the meeting. "I will personally travel with Lucy and remain with her until the birth. Mirajane has been informed that I will be absent for this period but not the reason. If there are no more questions, then I will leave to pack. We will depart at midnight. Prepare Lucy's bags by this time"

...

As Virgo went to prepare Lucy's travel bag, Loki looked towards Gray with question in his eyes.

"Gray, how did Natsu relate the story of Lucy's disappearance anyway?" the rest of the spirits glanced at him awaiting an answer.

"Natsu was being tortured to near death in one part of the woods. He heard one person say 'your sexy girlfriend was kind enough to present us with fresh dragon slayer magic, isn't she nice? The lucky bitch's enjoying herself with the boss right now'. Lisanna was also told the same thing when she went in to save Natsu. This alone didn't trigger any suspicion, but as they escaped, they ran into the room where Lucy was held captive. They said they saw her sleeping comfortably naked underneath satin bedsheets, hugging another man. However, from hearing both sides of the story, I don't know if what they saw was a hallucination or they may have staged it"

"From what I could hear in the spirit realm, I believe it was staged, moshi moshi" Sagittarius spoke out "I remember at one point, Lucy had released enough magic energy to escape; at the same time, I heard several people in the background. They had mentioned that the guild won't accept her anymore, there was no place to escape, moshi moshi."

"Who are these people, is what I'd like to know!" Capricorn stood up suddenly, unable to take the tension. Remembering something, he turned again towards the ice mage. " But before we can hunt them down, we will require a new master. When would you like to sign a contract with us?"

Also appearing to have just remembered the condition, Gray shook his head. "I am willing to sign anytime; however, I don't believe I can afford to continue losing magic by constantly summoning you."

"The only solution then is to allow us to remain here." Loki stared ahead at the clock as he said this. "It will drain you of your magic, but you are a maker mage not a holder mage. This means that keeping a spirit by your side will not lose as much magic as keeping them in the form of keys. Everyday, for one spirit, you lose magic that amounts to a small ice block. As there are fifteen of us, your energy level will be considerably less but can be improved by constant training. At the moment, you won't be able to use ice magic without losing your breath, so you will have to keep with very easy missions until you improve. In return to this, we will agree to teach you spirit magic and train with you. Do you agree to these terms?"

Gray thought carefully about the terms and came up with a serious problem. "You will have to enter the guild often when you're with me. To prevent recognition, I believe it's also best to step out of this building under disguise." The spirits mutually agreed to this "If that's so, then I agree to sign the contract."

A loud knock on the door alerted them of someone else's presence. Virgo hurried into the room displaying panic.

"Happy and Natsu tried to enter through the window!" At this, everybody stood to attention. "Luckily all the lights were off but we have to change our plans; Lucy has to leave right now!"

"Hurry! Plue, since you're small, try to get a message across to Master to tell him that we're moving Lucy to another location. Also tell him that we can no longer wait until midnight, Lucy has to leave immediately" As Plue escaped, Loki turned to Gray "Gray, you take Lucy out of here; if possible, get her as far as the town entrance. Virgo, accompany him and cover his tracks. Gemini transform and return to bed. The rest of you hide. I'll handle the guild members."

"I will help you" Capricorn stepped forward. "to prevent any further problems, we have to stand together."

The shouts on the other side was getting louder, informing the spirits of the vast number of members who had turned up to attack the sleeping key master. The other spirit members stood up, not willing to hide in the face of danger abd feeling anger for their master.

"We will not transform" Gemini stood together in their original form. "Lucy can escape with Gray and Virgo, but we will not lie or dress up the truth by allowing it to appear any different from the outside. If the guild wants to get at Lucy, then they will have to go through all of us."

At their united front, Loki nodded and gave Gray the signal to escape. Breathing in deeply, he prepared himself before opening the door.

"Let's bring on the war, baby."

...

To Be Continued

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><p>AN: RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH! Lol, but seriously, your getting another update so soon. My brain is just exploding with the ideas and I have the itch to type.

Before I start the next chapter, you guys have to know one thing. I, er, have... exams next week. Lol, it seems as though writing is an escape route to revising. Because of that, you may expect A LOT of updates this week alone! Be happy!

Again, please r&r


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: hey guys! I'm typing this while listening to the fairy tail soundtrack. I have to admit, it is just inspirational! Lol, if you've read in my previous chapter, you would know that I have exams next week so I'm biding my time for the oncoming disaster. No, but really, to discourage anybody from using this as an excuse, I have been revising. I'm only writing my stories in the MANY breaks I have during the day. It's focused on this story as I'm currently facing a writer's block on my ff7 fanfic. My feelings of despair cannot be put into words.

Anyway, on with the story!

NOTE: I trust you all know what nakama means. I'm sorry to say that I don't know how to describe it and this will forever be my lasting shame.

Enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

Erza banged against the door again, waiting for the person inside to let her in.

"Lucy Heartphilia, I demand that you open this door immediately!" Behind her, the guild members roared loudly, filling out into the streets and onto the bridge in front of the apartment complex. Several neighbours had woken up to the noise and opened their doors to see the reason behind it all. "LUCY! Get out no..."

The sudden opening of the door had caught the Titanian warrior off guard. She looked up to confront thirteen of Lucy's fifteen spirits; glaring at them, she demanded the presence of their master receiving smirks from the leading spirit.

"You really think we'd let you see Lucy after what you put her through?" crossing his arm, Loki stared down at the woman in front of him as he continued "We spirits refuse to allow you to see our master. We'd rather go to hell and back than step aside; we will fight you if we have to."

He received numerous yells from this as Lisanna stepped forward, giving a look of confidence towards the small group she and the guild faced against.

"You really think it would be hard to beat your asses into the ground? We all know Lucy couldn't even lay a punch against the weakest mage here. She was absolutely useless." The comment gained several sniggers and Lisanna proceeded to jeer at Lucy's inability to fight "Look at her, she's not even using her own strength! In fact, you can't even call her a mage!"

"_Regulus Impact!"_ Triggered by the last statement, Loki's abrupt attack had affected all members in his line of sight, knocking them clean off their feet. Silenced by his strength, the rest of the members could only look on as the remaining spirits strode out of the apartment. "For the local people, I must warn you to return to the safety of your homes before you get involved. And for those members who remain stupid enough to stand in front of me, we promise just retribution for what you have put Lucy through. It is impossible to see Lucy. You will NOT get past us all!"

With a cry, the war between guild members and celestial spirits began. Members surged forward to lay hands on those they considered traitors of the guild, spirits striking the people who refused to lend an ear to their master in her time of need. Hits landed, cries were heard but no side gave in to the other. The weaker spirits continued to fight, the state of their injuries slowing them down but they did not give in, their grief over Lucy's current condition released through their hits.

On seeing Lisanna laying semi-conscious in front of her, Aquarius grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and raised her into the air.

"Listen here, you fucked up bitch. You dare to talk shit about blondie again and I'll make sure you can't utter another word for the rest of your shitty little life, you hear?" Not waiting for an answer, she moved outside the house and slammed the take over mage into the concrete, smashing several bones and rendering her unconscious. "and **that** was for calling us weak. Beating us into the ground huh? Honey, I haven't even begun with you yet!"

Taurus stared at the crowd around him and sneered at the fast reduction in number. So the guild members couldn't handle the heat, huh? He turned to face the man who made it all happen. "So, why did you come back? I thought you didn't want to see her again, you bastard."

"And here, I thought Lucy Heartphilia wasn't able to summon more than one spirit at a time. Is that another lie against her I see?"

"You didn't answer me. Why are you here?" In reply to the bull's question, Natsu raised an arm into the air and brought it onto his opponent's weapon, subsequently breaking it.

"To make sure that she doesn't return. Did you really think we didn't prepare for a fight?" on delivering another connecting blow, Natsu stood back to view the damage "Or were you all stupid enough to not notice Erza entering the building alone?"

After delivering his own punch, Taurus just grinned knowingly. "For mages, you guys are an absolutely brainless bunch. Did you not hear Loki? _It is impossible to see Lucy!_ Do you know why?"Taurus continued to deliver punches at his enemy with every word "Because. Lucy. Is. Not. Here! We're not so thick that we'll let Lucy suffer more from her old family!"

The stillness after his announcement was unnerving, all members turning towards Taurus in disbelief. They turned to the building from which Erza emerged silently, no sign of a confrontation with the woman in question. The warrior slowly descended the steps, her eyes fixated on the Leo spirit. Her look of incredulity and shock was visible to all. Coming to last step, she raised her arm, revealing a set of glowing parchments that she dropped onto the floor.

"What is the meaning of this, Loki?" she went on to unroll one of the parchments "Why does it say that the spirits have suspended their contract with Lucy Heartphilia? Answer me!"

"The reason for that is because they have entered into a contract with me!"

Every person present fixed their gaze upon the new arrival, amazed. Gray stepped out from the shadows with Virgo and Plue close at his heels. Holding his own parchment of paper, he proceeded to step forward and face all the members of Fairy Tail. With all the celestial spirits behind him, he projected his voice, loud and clear, to ensure no misunderstanding of this point.

"From this day forward, I am the new key holder for these celestial spirits. It was originally planned that this was to remain a secret but we had not planned on Erza's discovery. Because of this, I will declare my ownership from the beginning. As a current member of Fairy Tail, I have the right to remain in the guild unless told otherwise by Master Makarov; this means that my spirits will also be allowed access to Fairy Tail and will not be subject to any harm by other members. Should this still occur, I will see to it that the person in question will die under my hands."

Erza shook with uncontrolled anger as she held her sword above her head. "What the hell are you doing, Gray? What have you done to Lucy? Where is she?"

"The subject of Lucy is neither here nor there." Giving nothing away, Gray just glanced at his nakama "Why would anybody here care what has happened to her? Seeing as you labelled her a traitor, it should not matter to you whether I killed her or have let her live. The only matter of importance is that I am the new master of the spirits. That said, I am now a dual magic user and I expect you to remember that."

On his way out, Gray turned briefly to look at his rival. "This all came about because of your lack of trust in your own nakama; whatever the outcome you cannot blame anyone but yourselves. If it is ever revealed that Lucy was innocent, you will all remember this and may live to regret your decisions."

...

The guild was relatively quiet in the following few months. No one could believe Gray's actions and nobody had the right to question him in the master's absence. It was all they could do to tolerate the spirits, who were a large reminder of their favourite princess. However, over the months, they had grown accustomed to seeing Gray enter the guild with several different spirits. Sometimes he came in to choose a mission with them, other times he came just to relax after training seriously. There were no more banters between Natsu and Gray, leaving the atmosphere in the guild to become somewhat oppressive. It was also very rare to see him use ice magic, as he preferred to train the spirits as much as possible. The relationship between Gray and his former teammates was filled with tension. They were never seen together anymore and missions were taken separately.

Natsu remained close with Erza, but he also chose to do missions alone. Things were not the same without his partner and, though he had been the one to chase Lucy away, he could not help but wonder, _what had happened to her?__**  
><strong>_There was never a second in the day when he forgot about her, whilst he was sleeping, eating and even during his fishing trips. He constantly felt sharp pangs of guilt upon remembering their last encounter and had to continually remind himself of her betrayal. However, with every month that went by, it felt as if the betrayal was less and less important; as if he would forgive her if only she returned.

In an effort to forget about their relationship, Natsu had asked Lisanna out on several dates. It was never the same as it had been with Lucy, the laughter and happiness was not in Lisanna's every movement as it was with the old spirit master. She was not so appreciative of the small pleasures, the gentle breeze, and the clear skies. Natsu also felt that Lisanna only showed appreciation when he showered more gifts on her in expensive places, a trait so opposite to Lucy who preferred a quiet night together at home. The difference in attitudes was so great that he had stopped dating altogether and instead favoured more time at his fishing hole to think and be alone.

...

Five months after the incident, Master Makarov had returned. He entered the guild with a sombre expression and called for Gray to meet him in the office. Gray stood up with the spirits, their ascent to the second floor noted by Natsu and the others.

After closing the door, Gray looked expectantly at Makarov who had sat on his chair with a sigh. They were ready for the worst; several spirits closing their eyes tightly, at which the old man smiled.

"The good news is that Lucy gave birth to a strong baby boy last weekend." His announcement caused beams to appear all around. Loki whooped in excitement as the master resumed "He was born on January 7th at 9.05pm, weighing a very healthy 9 pounds and 6 ounces. The bad news is that, due to the overall process, Lucy was left, physically, extremely weak. Luckily though, she has recovered rapidly in the past week and can now practice walking normally again. The baby has been named Lee Grayson Dragneel, Lee which means honour and Grayson after his wonderful uncle."

To the last part, Gray shouted in joy while Loki pouted with undisguised envy. Members outside wondered what was being discussed that had resulted in such happiness from Gray; He rarely displayed a smile and only did so because of something the spirits said, or did.

Makarov was also laughing along but was reminded of something. His eyes narrowed "Gray, from what you mentioned before I left, your contract was to be kept a secret...?"

"That _was_ the plan but there was a complication. Erza had found Lucy's suspension agreement with the spirits and questioned it. I felt it was best to speak of the truth from the beginning to avoid any more messy situations." He shrugged carelessly "I guess they think I stole them or something."

Loki scoffed "_Stole?_ It was more like they blamed you for Lucy's disappearance. It's not that obvious now, but at the start all the members acted disgusted by our actions. As if they actually_ cared_ for what had happened to Lucy. They seem to have forgotten that Erza only found the parchment by invading the apartment with the rest of the members, in an attempt to exile Lucy from Magnolia."

The atmosphere in the room suddenly turned cold. The Guild Master shook his head sadly "I'm sorry for not stopping this, but it may have led to suspicions and questions we could not answer at the time." He stood swiftly and walked to the door before turning back. "Getting back to the original subject, are you not off to celebrate? Get piss drunk, go around screaming your happiness or whatever but get out of my office! Now, shoo!"

"Haha! Don't wanna join us, old man?" Gemini poked the person in question and quickly ran down the stairs after transforming into his mirror image. They stopped abruptly at the bottom to catch their breath. "Shit. That was intense!"

On seeing Makarov's threatening face appear at the top, they transformed back and flew out squealing happily. "Run! Grandpa's gonna EEEAAAT UUUSS!"

"Why, you little brats! Watch when I get my hands on you! Just you wait!"

The remaining spirits stood at the top of the stairs, chuckling in delight at the sight before them. Gray had renewed his long lost habit of stripping as he slid down the banister to join in.

"Hurry up guys! Last one out is in charge of carrying the old man back. BLEEEEEEEEH!"

"Just wait, you bast..AAAAARGGH!" With a crash, Loki was suddenly found in a heap at the bottom, Capricorn and Taurus piled up above him. A tell tale layer of ice could be seen on one of the steps. In the background, Gray could be heard laughing hysterically at the prank.

"C..can't believe you losers fell for it!" He ran ahead to avoid immediate retribution while the remaining spirits stepped over the human/animal pile on the floor, grinning at the sight. Aquarius even took a picture to commemorate the moment.

"Just in case!" she winked at them walking slowly towards the entrance, holding up the camera. "Hafta say though, never expected the boss to be a uke. The king would be VERY interested about this don'cha think?"

Loki's scream of agony continued to echo throughout the land in the following weeks to come.

...

To Be Continued

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><p>AN hey guys! I've ended this chapter on a happy note but remember! It is not yet over! dun dun DUUUUUUUUUN

Yeah, I've made Lisanna to be a right byotch in here, but every story needs one right? Hee hee

The next few chapters may feature time skips, as I've finished with the important plots for this time. Lucy has ceased to appear from this chapter forward but wait, my friends! Good things can only happen to those who are patient.

And yeah... Loki's a UKE :P (Just to clarify, no I don't read yaoi. I had to suffer the childhood of sitting beside a yaoi fangirl during school.)

Please r& r


	5. Chapter 5

A/N Hi everyone! Before I continue onto the next chapter I have to say, thank you to all the lovely readers who are supporting this story. Tears are pouring from happiness at the thought.

Thank you all for the reviews. I was nervous about the last chapter, it wasn't as satisfactory as previous chapters (in my eyes that is). Hopefully this next chapter will be better. Sorry for not updating very often in the weekdays. I'll have to warn you all from now, expect most updates on the weekends; the days I don't have classes will be the days I have work, so it will be too busy for me to regularly update.

One review talked about my choice of Lee's surname. I chose to use Dragneel as we have to remember that Natsu IS the baby's father. No matter how much she feels betrayed, Lucy still harbours feelings of love towards him and cannot forget him so easily.

Apologising from now, this chapter is very short. The time skips will show a different spirit every time. I've written it to be that the spirits will visit Lucy separately over the years. Though they couldn't travel with Lucy to the country, it was never implied that visiting was forbidden; it's also important to note that, in order for him to guard Lee in the future, Gray has to have established a close bond with the child from the beginning.

On to the story...

Enjoy!

NOTE! Before I forget, please look at this video. The lighting is a little bad, but the feelings behind it is AMAZING! I absolutely love it

[youtube].com/watch?v=U-7GNF-TzwA&feature=related

Chapter 4

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"_Welcome to the world, Lee Grayson Dragneel. I think you'll like it here."_

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"_Heeh. So that's what the baby looks like with pink hair. You rock, punk!"_

"_Whatever, Gray. Say hello to your new nephew."_

"_NEPHEW! Why was Loki chosen to be his big brother while I'M left an uncle?"_

"_Because Loki's a uke."_

"_Shut up Aquarius! Just delete that picture already! And Gray, you're an uncle 'cause the stress is really getting to you. You look WAAY older than your years."_

"_Hmph... "_

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"_Look, he's smiling! Aww, you cutie, just wanna eat you upp! Ub-bah! Ub-bah!"_

_cough"Taurus, let go of my baby."_

"_!"_

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"_By the sound of your cries, one would think that the world is ending. A man must be strong, very strong! Now stand up and shout! You will not give in to the pain!"_

"_Why do I always catch you guys saying the weirdest things? Capricorn, he's TEETHING. It's expected that he cries."_

"_...but a man... the pain..."_

_sigh_

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"_Go on! Say ma...mah! ma ma!"_

"_..."_

"_Say it, ebi"_

"_... ebi.."_

_..._

"_Damn you, Cancer!"_

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"_Bedtime, mummy! Up, up!"_

"_Okay my adorable little poodle, but not before you tell me the truth. Did you harass Aries again?"_

"_Ari-chan, fun!"_

"_...I'm sorry..."_

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"_Pupuun! Puuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun!"_

"_Lee, take Plue out of your mouth this instant!"_

"_Tch, old hag"_

"_... That is it! Ten minutes in the naughty corner for you!"_

"_Lol"_

"_..."_

"_Says the Horologium"_

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_DING DONG_

_door opens_

"_Oh, hi Lexy! Is anything the matter?... Swearing dancing toddler?.. driving?...TWIN! ... oh, I'm ever so sorry, I believe that may be a prank from across the road... yes, yes... Don't worry about it, happens all the time. Okay, Bye!"_

_click_

"_GEMINI!"_

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"_My sand gun, vee"_

"_Wowwee! Mummy, I want a sand gun too, vee!"_

"_Lee, don't pick up their nasty habits ok?"_

"_Ok, vee!"_

_..._

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"_Virgo-chan! Let's dig to Australia!"_

"_Yes, baby master."_

"_Don't just agree, Virgo!"_

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"_Good afternoon to you, master lee! Moshi moshi."_

"_Good afternoon to you too, Sagitarius onii-san. Would you care for a carrot?"_

"_Lee, what have I told you?"_

"_Yes mummy, sorry mummy..."_

"_...(raised eye brows)..."_

"_I'm sorry Sagi-chan. I will never disrespect my elders, even if they wear weird outfits."_

"_I forgive you, moshi moshi"_

"_Well done!"_

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"_LEE GRAYSON HEARTPHILIA DRAGNEEL!"_

"_Mummy?"_

"_What is this I've heard from your magic teacher?"_

"_But she made an ice sculpture wrong! All I did was correct her!"_

"_And the super glue?"_

"_Well... she was putting her bogeys on my table so I just covered that part with glue to ... um...stop her. I even wrote a warning under the clear glue!"_

"_Right... And what exactly did that warning say?"_

"_..."_

"_I see... And here I was thinking that you deserved that nice big cake I had bought earlier. Oh well, we can always share with the neighbours, right?"_

"_Nooooo!"_

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"_Mummy, what's my daddy like?"_

"_He's a very strong mage, one who trained under a real dragon!"_

"_Really! What's happened to him now?"_

"_I'm sure he's still getting stronger in Fairy Tail."_

"_Why isn't with us? Did he not want me?"_

"_It's not you, baby. It could never be over you darling, Natsu Dragneel is a very honourable man and I want you to remember that. He just couldn't trust me after one incident a long time ago. He was silly enough to believe an enemies lie, which he used against me. When the time comes, you might have to return to Magnolia alone. If you ever meet your father, you cannot use this against him, understand? Though he broke my heart, he isn't a bad man."_

"_... Love you Mummy."_

"_Love you too, honey"_

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_To be Continued_


	6. Chapter 6

A/N gasp So, there's been a time skip in the story. Wowwee!

Hey people! I can't believe that we're already onto the 5th chapter of this story. Just, wow! I know, I know; why get excited over how many chapters I've completed? Well, it's just like seeing your baby grow up. sniff

Anyhow, ignoring my little emotional scene there, I have to make a small confession. I did not believe that my story was going to be followed as well as it is! Honestly, I maybe hoped for one or two readers to support this but I have received at least 35 e-mails informing me of a person adding my story to their favourites or story alerts. For the other writers out there, you should understand this feeling of joy and happiness. Sorry, getting teary again...

Please enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 5<p>

"Fire Dragon's...FIST!"

Lee Grayson Dragneel was practicing in the backyard, totally absorbed in his training. A young boy of seven, he was considered tall for his age; His bright pink hair and cheekiness made him the centre of attention wherever he went, presenting Lucy with the likeness he had with Natsu. Wearing a dark vest together with beige combats, Lee was already considered a heartbreaker. His good mannerisms and ever present eagerness to help made him a popular person amongst both the young and old.

"WATCH OUT!"

A shout caught Lee's attention. Looking behind him, he saw a small dog running towards him at full speed. The impact of the collision caused both dog and boy to fall to the ground.

"Hey, you okay? I'm really sorry about that." A boy his age held out a hand. Gray took it and stood up slowly. He had long raven hair, covering one eye, and a gentle smile. He also looked rugged and scrawny.

"I'm alright. What happened to make the dog run so fast?"

"Oh it's nothing serious. Tyson freaked out by a car that went by too fast. I'm Blaze. Blaze Natsume. What about you?"

"I'm Lee Grayson"

"Pleased to meetcha, Lee" Blaze nodded behind his the other boy. "You seem busy. You practicing magic?"

"Yeah. I want to enter a guild when I grow up." He received a look of admiration at the confession.

"Wow! Really? That's really rare in this area." Lee sat down, gesturing Blaze to join him. "From what I've heard, there's not even a guild around for miles."

"I already have a guild in mind. How about you? You aimin' to become a guard or somethin'?"

"Nah. I wanted to be a mage, but it's impossible." Raising his long hair, Lee saw some differences his eyes. One was grey while the other was amber coloured and seemed to glow. "My ancestry is known to detect and manipulate magic, but cannot produce magic alone. This is called the sensory ability. My mother told me that our family worked beside the ruler of a country in order to maintain peace and justice." Covering his eye again, Blaze continued. "However, there came a time when the king became greedy. He wanted power for himself and began changing the rules; anybody who possessed magic was to sought after and slaughtered. He wanted to use the sensory ability in order to achieve this, but was refused by all sensory users. Because of this, all but one was killed. He was only able to 'see' through one eye so the royal army left him alone. That person was my great grandfather and he's passed this trait on to his children."

"...wow! You know a lot about your family background! Do you have many cousins and stuff?"

"Beside me, there's no one else. My mother was the last surviving Sensor and she died a few years ago. I never knew my dad but mum said he's a magic user."

"Ohhhh. I don't know my dad either! But I don't really wanna know him cause he broke my mummy's heart, you know? He broke her heart and she had to stop doing magic. Oh yeah, mummy said I have to go in soon."

"..."

"Come on! I'll introduce you to everyone. Loki-san is over today, too!" Jumping up suddenly, Lee took his new friend's hand and dragged him inside with Tyler barking excitedly at their feet. "MUUUUUUMMYYY!"

"I'm not deaf Lee, so hush up slightly, will you?" Appearing from the kitchen, Lucy was wearing an apron and was evidently cooking for their lunch. "What is it, honey? Oh, have you made a new friend?"

"Mummy! Meet Blaze and his dog Tyler. Can we have him over for lunch mummy? Please?"

Lucy stepped forward to smile gently at the nervous boy. She didn't mention anything, but she could see that he wasn't being cared for properly. Both the dog and boy were practically skin and bones, and they looked like they hadn't washed for several days.

"If it's okay with Blaze's parents. Do you think your mum will mind?"

"I-I don't have a mum but I don't think my... carer would mind."

"Well that's fine then. Let me finish cooking first, so the two of you play upstairs for a bit. I'll call you down, okay?"

"'kay mummy!" Lee was already stomping up the stairs, not noticing that he was alone. Blaze looked hesitantly at himself before glancing quickly at the woman beside him.

"Don't worry, you go on up. I'll feed your dog first, is that alright?"

At the question, Blaze nodded and turned to go upstairs as well. The boys played together for a few minutes before getting called down for dinner. Lucy had cooked a pasta bake with a salad side and chocolate milkshake.

"Did you call Loki to come and eat, Lee?"

"No need, I'm already here." As Loki sat at the table, he noticed the extra member. "I see that the brat's made a new friend. What's your name?"

"Blaze"

"Hey, did you know that Blaze has this thing called the sensory ability? It's so cool!" Lucy looked up from her plate, impressed.

"Really? That is so interesting! From what I've read, sensors became extinct within the last century."

"I'm the only surviving sensor. I only have half the ability though."

"Don't worry about that" Loki started helping himself to another plate. He ate much too quickly "If you practice and train yourself well, there shouldn't be a lot of difference. A person may have potential, but if he doesn't act on it, then boof."

"... boof?"

"What that idiots trying to say is, if you practice hard, you can achieve your goal. A person boasting too much about his good points will not improve automatically; though he may be good now, he won't be in the long run."

"Oh, ok...Um, excuse me, Lee's mum."

"Call me Lucy"

"erm.. then, excuse me, Lucy? Can I ask a question?"

"Go ahead."

"Why does Lee call Loki san by his name? Isn't he your husband?"

The shock caused both adults to choke and spit their food out. At the same time, Lee could be seen on the floor, laughing hysterically. Blaze turned a shade of dark red in embarrassment and looked down.

"cougherm, I think you've misunderstood" with Lee still laughing like a maniac on the ground, Lucy got annoyed and kicked him. "I am, or was, a celestial mage. Loki is one of the spirits that I work with."

As Blaze took this information in, Lee stood up and patted his back.

"Don't worry, you'll understand it all after a while. Welcome to the crazy family!"

After this day, Blaze could be seen frequently at the Heartphilia home. It was a modest sized house with three bedrooms and a small family room out front. He met with all of the other spirits as well as 'Uncle' Gray, who taught him to manipulate ice magic.

He grew comfortable around the family and was soon able to laugh and smile together with the rest. However, his clothes and state of cleanliness did not change for a while. It was soon discovered that Blaze was abandoned by his foster parents, so soon after his own parent's death. On hearing this, Gray agreed to formally adopt the lad under his name, hence fully naming him Blaze Natsume Fullbuster. This was not an act of charity, but instead, a proper welcome into the family.

Lee and Blaze were like brothers, two sides of a coin; so unlike the other, they were named yin and yang. Whilst Lee was tall and athletic, Blaze was tiny and preferred to study indoors; Lee was loud, Blaze was quiet; Lee was forceful, Blaze was gentle. Nevertheless, all these differences seemed to be a matter of no importance to the boys. They enrolled into the same school and each had their individual strengths and weaknesses. During their lessons, Lee relied on Blaze to help explain the subjects whereas it was the other way round during their training and magic sessions.

Blaze had not thought of himself able to produce magic. On the other hand, as he only possessed one sensory eye, Gray had suspected him of also being a source magic user as well. During their training the older man had not revealed his suspicions, instead opting to try and force the magic out of his son. This method proved to be a success when the young boy created a wind shield to stop oncoming ice shards.

Further training determined that Blaze was in control of a wind type magic, wherein which he could also be in command of the temperature of his magic as well. This meant that, in the event that he could not manipulate an attack, Blaze could change the temperature of the opponent's magic to distort its effect. In Gray's case, a slightly higher temperature melted the ice and made attacks lukewarm instead of bitterly cold. The wind also intensified the flames used by Lee; the flame would, in turn, give Blaze time to detect and manipulate enemy attacks, making the two boys a strong team to defeat. Lee and Blaze became a pride to teach, with teachers and mentors all confident without a doubt that they would become the future heroes of Fiore.

Gray frequently visited to see his son and bring gifts over for both; the adopted father and son became extremely close. The man was proud of both children, but held a special place in his heart for the smaller child; after all, they both suffered from the same experiences, as children, and both were brought in by a warm and loving family. The next few years were peaceful and happy; both boys practicing with whoever was available and becoming inseparable.

But, as many other things in life, peace was never meant to last. On the night of Lee's tenth birthday, Lucy fell into a deep sleep; she had gone to bed like any other day but never woke up again from her slumber. Though it was predicted, Sapphire and her assistants were not prepared for the sudden turn of events. Nothing could be done to wake her up, bringing the boys into a depressing slump.

The first few days, they had sat beside her, hoping to see her eyes open. Lee and Blaze had lost their enthusiasm to train, to play and to learn, waiting only for the time when Lucy would smile at them again. Teachers could not bring their favourite students to participate in activities and soon they isolated themselves from the world. Laughter was never heard in the Heartphilia house again, as they prepared their bags to move away. Gray was to bring them to their new home the following morning, in the town of Magnolia.

As a means of saying goodbye, they remained by Lucy the whole night, awake and each gripping one of her pale hands. Wires were connected to her body to keep her alive, a monitor showing her stable condition. For the first time, Lee cried, unable to keep the tears inside; he cried sorrowfully for his mother; he cried angrily, hating his father for getting Lucy into this state; and he cried bitterly for the years he couldn't stay beside her. Blaze reached over the bed and took his partner's free hand, not saying any words of comfort. His presence alone in the room was a comfort for Lee, who had never learnt to be alone.

...

The following morning they left their hometown, never planning to return. Their happiness, laughter and eagerness to please was gone, in its place a seriousness that was heartbreaking. Gray and the spirits were also mournful. Even with the knowledge that Lucy may wake up, the atmosphere was not the same. Nobody trusted in the hope of what was being said; it would make it all the worse if Lucy never came around.

Before arriving in Magnolia, Lee donned a hat to hide his bright hair; it wouldn't do to have anybody make connections about his relation with Natsu Dragneel. After doing so, the group moved forward quickly; the Guild Master was expecting the presence of his newest two members and they wished to settle as soon as possible.

On arriving outside the Guild, the boys took a deep breath and opened the door. A cheerful atmosphere could be seen everywhere they looked, members only stopping to look at the strangers before continuing. Gray walked in first, ignoring everyone and entering a room on the upper floor. He motioned for the two to follow him, before shutting the door behind him.

Makarov sat before them, not speaking. He had never seen Lee after the initial meeting and only heard of the quiet Blaze; he took his time, taking in every detail of each person before nodding.

"Lee Grayson and Blaze Natsume, welcome to Fairy Tail. I will not be calling you by your full names to prevent rumours and suspicions as much as possible. It is also important to note that both your special powers should not be used frequently. Lee, because of your father's notable presence in this very guild and Blaze, because we want to protect your secret and keep you away from power seekers. Gray will still keep hold of his contract with the celestial spirits, but if there is ever a time that you require their assistance on a mission then they may agree to help. Are there any questions?"

Lee stepped forward. In the time he had travelled across the country, he had learned to adopt an unreadable facade. Nothing could be learned from his expressions or body language, nobody would have even guessed at the pain he held within and he didn't plan on ever becoming vulnerable again.

"I want to fight against Natsu Dragneel. I will challenge him, even if you refuse." Under the old man's scrutiny, Lee did not back down, showing bravery and courage. He had made a promise to himself never to forgive his father, even if it meant fighting for his position in this guild. Gray stepped forward in an attempt to stop the boy, but stopped at Makarov's gesture. The Guild Master stood up and walked around the table to come face to face with Lee.

"Give me your reason for wanting to fight a guild member."

"I want to defeat him. He is the reason that my mum is in the state that she is right now. I won't stop until I put him into a similar situation, even if it meant my exile from Fairy Tail."

"Hrmph." All three watched, with baited breath, as Makarov returned to his seat. "I cannot force you to stop this madness, especially towards your own father. That being said, I do understand where you're coming from; if my parent died or suffered under the hands of another, I couldn't my anger either." He sat silently, thinking for an answer that was the most fair. On coming to a decision, he nodded to himself and looked up.

"I understand that you want to challenge Natsu, however I will only permit it under the given conditions. Firstly, your father is not available to fight right now. He is on an S-level mission that should last him until the end of next year. In order for you to be able to challenge him, I want you to prove yourself first. Within the next year, I expect your skills to improve greatly. At the beginning of next year, I will be holding an S mage exam; I will look forward to seeing the both of you nominated for the exam. Secondly, you are only to challenge Natsu to a fight; if he refuses, you cannot force an attack. The last point is" Makarov looked intently at Lee "if you end up losing, you must tell your father the truth. Should you fail to carry out any of these conditions, then I will withdraw my permission to allow this fight. If you still insist on fighting, then I shall ask you to leave the guild on the grounds of a dishonoured contract."

"I understand. Thank you, Master Makarov."

"Gray, I know you planned on taking the boys into your home but I have decided to instead, let them stay in the guild accommodation. From this day forward, you cannot give them any kind of help; they have to learn to survive on their own. They will pay their own rent and food, and cannot rely on you or any of the spirits for help besides to go on missions, or to train. One last thing" the old man gave a stern look to the new members. "while you are at this guild, no sour faces! You will be happy at this guild and my members will make sure of it! You are dismissed."

...

Stepping out of the office, Gray stood at the top of the stairs and waved his arm towards the noise below.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail boys. Would you like introductions now?"

"Might as well, get it over and done with." The older man smirked, having expected that answer. He faced the guild and cleared his throat to get the attention of his colleagues; silence ensued. If they imagined a quiet welcome, then the boys were in for a big surprise.

"I would like to introduce you to two new members of this guild." Stepping forward, both boys looked down silently at the others. "Lee Grayson and Blaze Natsume, welcome to Fairy Tail!"

The guild shook from the sound of cheers. The boys were dragged to the ground floor, not reacting due to the shock of their welcome. They were accustomed to a generally quiet life and felt out of place with such... loudness!

Lee felt his heart warm up and smiled shyly around him. Looking to his left, he noticed that Blaze was in a similar situation. _So this is what it feels like in a guild, mum?_

Remembering his mother's stories about her time in this guild, Lee slowly lost his bitterness and looked forward for his stay here.

_Guess what, mum? I've finally joined Fairy Tail!_

To Be Continued

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><p>AN Hey peoples! When I was writing, I decided that it was time for me to introduce Lee's nakama, namely Blaze. At this current time, Gray is now 29-ish, so I thought he's old enough to want his own kids right? (even it's a ready made baby :P, you'd also expect him to love the act of sec... hrmph. Let's not go there)

Most of you won't have expected Blaze, but hey, Lee's not a loner!

I'm always open to criticism! R&R


	7. Chapter 7

A/N- Hello and welcome to all my beloved and devoted readers! As you read in the previous chapter, I'm putting this story on hiatus. This is because of my work load and my writer's block on this...

I'm bullshitting guys. I'm not really cancelling this story, it's too fun to write.

What I DO want to comment on is the times I receive reviews. As I live in England, I uploaded the last chapter at (on my watch) around 11 o' clock. During my working hours, I received a lot of messages informing me of reviews, favourites etc. and I was like... WHAT? Lol, just the time difference does get a little confusing. I would expect many people in work/ school or whatever, but who am I? Just a little plodger in the U.K I'm afraid ;)

I tried drawing an pic of Lee and I'm generally happy with the results. One problem though, the HANDS are so bad that I even feel ashamed for drawing them. ARGH!

NOTE: For those who may not know my style, I'm the type to upload a chapter randomly. Sometimes I may upload two chapters in one day and sometimes I... er... don't upload for... a while... (coughtwoyearscough)  
>With this story, I've been uploading at least every other day so no worries.<p>

On to the next chapter!

NOTE- Very sudden change in attitude, some may want to get tissues ready.

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><p>Chapter 6 (OMG like, already? :P)<p>

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOOOOOOOUUUU!" A large cake was brought into the room to celebrate Blaze's second birthday at the guild. At eleven, he was still very small for his age, his head only reaching below his father's chest; and Gray wasn't all that tall himself!

Born several months after Lee, Blaze had the opportunity to celebrate both his tenth and eleventh birthday with the guild. It didn't stop him from staring enviously at his best friend. On Lee's eleventh, he measured to be the same height as Gray, so what made him different? Looking at himself discreetly, Blaze could only come up with one solution: their differences came from their individual eating habits. Satisfied with his conclusion, the young boy glanced up to notice the expectant looks on the faces of all his peers. He then noticed Lee holding out a knife to him, somewhat impatient.

"Hello! Are you ready to cut the cake yet?"

"Er, okay..." taking hold of the knife gingerly, Blaze started to cut the cake...

"WAIT! You forgot to blow the candles! Honestly, boys these days!" Asuka, ten year old daughter of Bisca and Alzack came forward huffily. "Blaze! What's wrong with you today?"

"Shut it. It doesn't matter which way Blaze does it! I just wanna eat the cake already!"

"Well, it makes a difference, Lee!" the two children started to bicker before noting that dear little Blaze was still standing there doing neither of the tasks.

"WELL HURRY UP, THEN!"

"... Okay..." BEFORE cutting the cake, Blaze shut his eyes and blew, wishing for something very honourable; a larger appetite. After doing this, he cut the cake quickly and distributed it out. After all, he certainly did not want another blast from the two hotheads over there; anymore synchronised speeches and they'd be together for life! After giving the two a cheeky peek, Blaze proceeded to cut himself an extra large slice. Might as well see if the wish was granted, right? He moved to take a seat in a corner of the guild, ambling for some quiet time cough.

About to take his first bite, Blaze was suddenly seen flying in the air. It seemed that the idiots had started their fight slightly earlier today, huh?

"You IDIOT! I told you that the birthday boy or girl have to ALWAYS blow the candles BEFORE cutting the cake! _Cross Star Explosion!"_

"And I told you that I DON'T CARE! _Flaming Impulse!"_

The poor boy looked back to see a destroyed table in place of his cake slice. He turned to fetch himself another plate but noticed that there was no cake left. Pouting slightly, he just sat down. He felt an arm around him, hugging him tightly; not saying anything, Blaze just sighed unhappily.

"What's wrong, buddy?" Gray pretended to strangle his son, receiving a small giggle. "Didn't receive your presents yet? Want me to force it out of them?"

"Nah." Blaze sighed again, looking towards his father "Gray, why am I so small?"

"Huh?" the man was blown away by the small issue. Usually a kid would want more presents, or even just complain about presents they had received. His son's puppy eyes made him too adorable to ignore "er, because... wait a minute son, let me think this through."

As Gray went to sit next to him, Blaze turned red in pleasure. _He called him son! _It was a small thing, but to him it was a reminder of their true relationship. Though it was impossible to openly talk of their father-son relationship, there were times like these that Blaze could feel he had a person to rely on, emotionally; a place he could really say he belonged. He still could not believe that Gray took him under his name 3 and a half years ago!

"So, tell me again Blaze. You are sighing unhappily because...?"

"I'm small."

"And that is bad because?"

"Graay!" The look of pure torment on Blaze's face reflected his feelings. "Even Asuka's the same height as me and SHE'S a girl! Why can't I be tall like Lee?"

"Becaauuse... okay, think about this carefully, Blaze. You say that Lee's 'tall' right?" At the boy's nod, Gray continued "If all the boys were as tall as him, do you really think that people would say he's tall? The meaning of tall person, Blaze, is when a person is slightly, or very much, more taller than the average height in a group of similar people. Do you understand? So that means he's not so... _normal_ in a sense."

Gray leaned back, satisfied with his answer; however, there was one problem.

"...But why am I small? Does that not also make me not normal either?"

... oh, shit.

"Hahaha! You sure fell into that one!"

"Shut up, you Lion bastard"

...

On the other side of the guild, it seemed that the issue of cutting a cake was still not resolved. That being said, the topic was currently not-so-gently placed aside for now to clear some more obvious issues.

"IDIOT! Take this, _bullet storm!"_

"HAH! That didn't even touch me, loser! _Triple inferno!"_ the attacks conveniently their targets, going straight for other members who, in turn joined the fight and causing a riot.

"Why you...!"

"Ouch! Watch where you're stepping, idiots!"

"A man should fight bare-han..."

"SHUT UP!"

Soon the fight got out of hand, calling for some good old fashioned control. The threatening silhouette of a monster stood at the door.

"ENOUGH!" That very same figure took out all the members with the sweep of his arm, then shrunk quickly to the size of a pumpkin. The guild was silent, all participants of the fight left on the floor with the cake and broken furniture. To Blaze and Lee, this sight became a normal, everyday occurrence.

The Master stepped forward to review the damage done and groaned quietly. He shook away the thoughts of replacement furniture and quickly jumped to the stage, facing his audience.

"Forgetting this mess for now, I have important news. Fairy Tail has decided to organise our annual S- class mage 2 weeks earlier. This is to allow our final event of the exam to take place; all the current S- class mages can only be present on the 15th August, hence being the reason for our early start and finish." Makarov cleared his throat ignoring the many moans and complaints. "As we have had several mages who has shown potential, the higher mages and I have made a decision on our nominees for this year. We have chosen the mages who, we feel has made the most progress since our last examinations. If I call your name, I would like you to step to the allocated side of the guild; before that, can all present S-class mages please join me on the stage."

Mirajane, Erza, Gray and Loki joined the Master on the stage. As a former real member of the guild, Loki was the only one of all spirits to be granted permission to participate in the exams. Gray had earned his title fairly late; only 8 years ago. He had been nominated to join the exams in all the years before, but had chosen to withdraw his place the first few years and visit Lucy instead. This was due to the fact that it was the only time throughout the year that another mage was not in control of a member's movements. Had Gray tried to visit any other time, Mirajane would have had to know of his visit and the reason behind it.

"As I said before, whoever I call out, please move yourself to the allocated area at the centre of the guild: BISCA! ALZACK!" Asuka cheered for both her parents at the call of their names.

"SATOSHI!"

"ROMEO!" The young man of seventeen walked to the centre, pleased. Lee and Blaze received pats if encouragement on the way, together with a wink. Romeo fully expected them up with him.

"LIGHTNING!"

"ZERO!"

Everybody waited in anticipation.

"TENJOU! And JOY!" The master rolled up his parchment and waited for the last to step into the centre.

The hush was deafening; what had happened? Lee sat back, unbelievingly. Was this the end of his time in Fairy Tail? He stared at the old man in the front before getting up slowly, tamping down on his sense of defeat. Ignoring the murmurs, he walked to the entrance and left, Blaze following close behind.

On the stage, Loki was also shocked. From what he remembered, both the boys were sure contestants of the exam; glancing at the Master, he suddenly saw the reason why. In anger, he stepped forward, delivering a knockout blow to the man he loved like a grandfather. He shoved away the members in his way and stalked out, too angry to care of the consequences.

Gray blocked the doors with an ice wall to prevent the members from chasing after the lion spirit. He then turned to the master, cold disgust evident in his own eyes.

"Loki had all the right to do what he did." The older man remained on the floor, motionless, pitiful. "You may be trying to keep the peace in your guild, but what you have done here is a breach in contracts and promises!"

"It is to protect the..."

"To protect the what? The guild? Lee? Natsu?" Gray stepped forward, uncaring of the attention he was receiving "What you just did is break a promise YOU issued with a young child! A child who, at the age of ten, already lacked trust for the people of Fairy Tail! YOU insisted on his debut here and YOU insisted that he opened his heart to the guild, all the while planning your betrayal? You knew of his intentions if he didn't succeed in entering this exam. You made sure of it!"

Staring at the heap on the floor, Gray could not bring himself to do anymore than to laugh humourlessly.

"You could just say that I failed in my mission; I failed to protect her beloved son from all this!" he started his own way to the door.

"NO! I made a mistake!" Makarov found the energy to get up shakily, in an effort to stop the man "Gray! I'll allow them into the exam, just please don't leave the guild! Forgive this mistaken old man!" he fell and started to cry "Forgive this old man, please Gray!"

"I can't!" Gray burst out, unable to keep his feelings in any longer "Do you know what that will do to them? Knowing that you were playing them like puppets will kill them! I couldn't even introduce Blaze as MY OWN SON! Do you know how that made him FEEL? To know that his own father was nearby, but could not be reached; how much pain did my son endure? I couldn't spoil him, comfort him or even talk to him properly! You even went so far as to find a separate accommodation for the boys to sleep in, to hide their true identity! All that effort, for a request that you could not accept?"

Shaking his head, Gray, moved back until he felt the ice behind his back. Breaking it with a clenched fist he made his way out, pausing to make one last comment before leaving.

"You say you only wanted peace and to protect? This action of yours will not only destroy the trust and confidence of two young boys, but it will also be the cause of destruction to this guild as well. Or have you forgotten? Lee intends to fight Natsu and avenge his suffering mother, whether you like it or not."

"_Fairy Tail will live to regret her past actions."_

...

The guild was soundless, besides the sobbing of an old man. The confessions made were heard by all, members held witness to the breakdown of their Guild Master. A man, with whom most would entrust their life, had revealed to a betrayal so great against his own guild member. Unspoken questions arose, but most could not move on seeing the slumped shape of their master. The same was to be said about the present S-class mages, Erza and Mirajane; both in shock and both angry at the situation in front of them.

"Master Makarov! Just tell me this is all a lie." Erza broke the silence, her sense of honour making it impossible to keep silent. "I will believe your words over Gray's, just say this was set up!"

Makarov could not speak, continuing to cry into his hands.

"What did they mean? Did you really take them out of the exams?" shocked into action, Romeo moved to stand next to the figure on the ground. "Did you ...Master? Master!"

...

"Get out! Leave me alone!"

Blaze stared at the shut door in front of him. Lee had never, _ever_ kept him away. If there was a job to do, or an essay to write, the task would always be done together. They even comforted each other in their sorrows and laughed together during times of happiness.

Inexperienced and naturally timid in the face of hostility, Blaze made the decision to stay outside until Lee decided to let him in.

He remained in that position when Lee opened the door several hours later. He had slept on the ground just outside the door to prevent anybody from disturbing the person inside; tear streaks were evident as well. Feeling guilty, Lee picked the smaller boy up and placed him in his own bed.

Lee then went down to prepare enough breakfast for an army. If he predicted right, then everyone would crowd their house by late morning; even if they didn't eat much, he needed something to do right now and breakfast gave the perfect excuse. After cooking everything, he then took his time cleaning the whole kitchen, letting the time drag until Gray and the others arrived.

Exhaling heavily, Lee leaned against the table tops staring to the skies,

_Mum, am I doing the right thing?_

...

The guild was in utter, pin drop silence. They were still reeling from the earlier incident, an incident so shocking that it led to the heart attack of their Guild Master and the spilling of the truth. If what was being said had been true, the guild members could not think of what that implied of their current situation. The guild had always been a family, a place of comfort and a place of happiness. It was a given that members supported one another without thought of what was said being anything but the truth.

However, the guild Master himself had broken apart their theory, by opposing to allow two young boys into an exam to prevent a future crisis. The problem was not in the action itself, but more the feelings behind such an action. What had been of such importance that the master had, not made, but _issued_ a promise that he knew was going to be broken? Even with the main truth out, there was no way of knowing reasons for certain actions, or knowing the situation at all apart from this bare fact.

_If the Guild Master himself could not be trusted to keep a secret, or keep a promise, then who could?_

They heard the door slam open, all turning to expect the return of the children, or Loki, or Gray. They turned to find, instead, a person who had been away for two years, the main person in Makarov and Gray's argument.

"Hey guys, I'm home!"

Natsu Dragneel, twenty nine year old dragon slayer, S-class mage of Fairy Tail and the official father of Lee Grayson Dragneel had returned home, together with partners Happy and Lisanna.

"It's great to be back!"

To Be Continued


	8. Chapter 8

A/N- Hey guys!

First off, I wanna thank the very attentive _ShiningStellar_! Thanks for telling me about the name I used being different. The only thing I can say is that I wrote this during my sleeping tine, so I was practically DEAD when writing and proofing this chapter. I've amended the chapter!

Sorry for anybody who may have been disturbed by the imagery... (lol... BIXLOW AND ALZACK)

- I guess a lot of you are surprised by the twist I put in the previous chapter. I'm afraid I had to put the poor old man up to that role, or we would have made no progress in the story; still _sniff sniff_ it was hard to read about myself afterwards myself...

Thank you all my other reviewers as well, you are all wonderful people.

Also, I hadn't updated for a few days due to exams. As some may know, I had some this week. I'm finished now! I'll try to update as often I can now its holidays.

Anyway, enjoy the next chapter!

NOTE- sorry if it seems a little messy; I'm writing this while trying to stay awake... :3

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><p>Chapter 7<p>

...

_Dear Mum,_

_Today the master told us who would go into the S-class exams; I wasn't chosen as a candidate. It was also Blaze's birthday, but I made him cry. Birthdays are supposed to be fun, but he was just worried about me and slept in front of my bedroom door. I was angry because of the exam nominations and shouted out that I didn't want to see him. Does that make me a bad friend? Blaze forgave me, but I still feel bad. I don't to lose my best friend because of my selfishness, so I promise never to hurt him again, even if it kills me._

_Lots of love from a very sorry son, __  
><em>_  
><em>_Lee Grayson  
>xxx<em>

_P.S Please wake up soon! We miss you so much!_

...

"Hey guys, I'm home! It's great to be back!" Natsu slammed the Guild doors, shouting his arrival to the world. He noticed the stares from all directions, not welcoming but instead, almost... hostile. Backing up slightly, he immediately went on the defensive.

"Hey, what's up guys? I didn't destroy the city again, promise!" his reaction brought several exasperated sighs, but did not raise the atmosphere like usual. Natsu felt the like he stepped into an unknown world; the guild was never like this. _Never._

He looked up, waiting for the old man to appear. When he did not, the dragon slayer felt frustration and slight annoyance. Where was his usual welcome? Lisanna touched his hand gently, appeasing him slightly. However, Natsu still felt his suspicions rising.

"Where's Master Makarov? He promised to be here when I returned." He looked around to see a few heads go down quickly; his fears increased when even Romeo looked away from him. "Romeo? Answer me, where is Makarov? Where's Mirajane and Erza? Gray?"

Somebody coughed surprisingly at the mention of Gray, catching Natsu's attention. His eyes narrowed in warning; he was waiting for an answer and he WAS going to get an answer, even if he found out himself. He walked towards the stairs, in an attempt to look into the master's office; he did not expect the loud shouts or several people holding him back.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?"

Romeo cleared his throat, knowing there was no way out of this situation.

"_Natsu, something bad happened while you were gone."_

...

_knock knock_

"I'll get it!"

Lee hurried to open the door; his mood had gotten better within the past week. He still wanted to get back at his father but Blaze, Gray and the celestial spirits helped him during his time of depression. They had made him look at the bigger picture; if he hadn't been good enough to pass this year then it was only an indication to try harder. Because of that, he had decided to train harder before challenging the man to a fight.

Upon opening the door, he met with somebody unfamiliar. A blue haired lady stood on the other side, smiling gently.

"Hey there, you must be Lee, right? Is Gray inside by any chance?"

"Let me check if he's busy right now." Lee closed the door and called for his guardian, who appeared from the kitchen. "Gray! There's a blue haired lady outside. She wants to talk to you."

Gray nodded and opened the door to meet an old friend, Wendy Marvell. Lee went back to continue his game with Blaze and Taurus.

"Wendy! It's been a long time. Come in!"

"It really has! I arrived last night to chaos in the guild. However, we can talk about our adventures later." As Wendy stepped in, she gave Gray a serious look. "You might know why I'm here today; I can't stay and talk for long."

The man closed the door and led her into a small room before allowing her to continue. "Please go on."

"I came home to hear of the incident last week. However, what you may not know is that something serious happened afterwards; Master Makarov suffered from a major heart attack. I believe it was during this time that a small confession was made. The guild now knows that Lee is Natsu's son; how they didn't figure out sooner is beyond me as Lee is an exact replica of his father." She walked around the room, nervous to look Gray in the eye. However, the matter had to be communicated, so she forced herself to stop and stare straight at the man

"Another thing is that Natsu has returned. He hasn't yet been told the full story, only that there was a small fight, which had lead to the heart attack. Nonetheless, he had to be told of your involvement in this and because of this, you have to be cautious not to appear before him until he cools down enough to see reason. The guild is doing everything to keep him under control; if Lee wants to fight Natsu now, he may be killed. That man has never had any control of his emotions and any fight now may lead to serious injuries on the other party; he is at his emotional high and should not be disturbed."

"One more concern before I go. As you may have already guessed, I am watching over the Master during his recuperation. It is my advice, as his doctor, that you and Loki can visit him to discuss the incident last week. I can understand your point of view. There was no need for Makarov to do such a thing; promises should not be made if one has no plans to honour it."

Wendy looked up gravely "On the other hand, please look at the situation from Makarov's eyes as well. He is the father to a man who hates his guts and is the master of a dark guild. His own experiences from fighting his son had resulted in this current circumstance and he did not want the same to happen between Natsu and Lee. Though he may have been misguided in his actions, he had pure intentions and you must acknowledge that. I know I wasn't there to help Lucy from the onslaught of abuse that she received 12 years ago, but I am confident that her greatest wish would have been to reunite the family. Your agreement to talk with the master can fulfil that wish. Please think about this, Gray, and make sure to talk to Loki about this too. I'll let myself out; you know how to contact me if you decide to meet."

Wendy walked out, giving the ice mage time to think. The healing mage had left thirteen years ago –to participate in an extremely long research mission. It was a top secret mission and, from what Gray had heard, she was still heavily involved in the case throughout her absence. Had she been present at the time of Lucy's pregnancy, he knew that she would have known Lucy's condition and given her support. Her presence could mean only one of two things; she had completed the private mission or, she was not able to carry on her research due to other reasons.

Gray just stared at the ceiling for a while, not bothering to try and begin cooking lunch again.

"You might as well come out now, Loki. Wendy isn't here anymore." Coughing slightly, Loki swung open the cupboard door and unravelled himself in a way that displayed a familiarity for such places. "Since you were EAVESDROPPING, it should be clear what was being said. The question now is, do we agree to meet Makarov to settle our differences."

The lion spirit sighed. "It would seem that would be the most appropriate action at this moment. Like Wendy has mentioned, we didn't take Makarov's feelings into consideration and, by doing so, we may have made this situation one hundred times worse. Had we not done such a public display of ourselves, the Master may not be in such a precarious position, right now." He leaned against the table, smiling slightly. "What I would like to say is that I'm surprised Wendy has recognised Lee's parents so quickly after the first meeting. Fluke, you think?"

"I wouldn't believe so." Gray just grinned proudly. "That _is_ my baby sis we're talking about. Never underestimate her powers of analysis. She is a mage that specialises in health, so you would imagine that she's one smart cookie, as well. She's grown so much in thirteen years, it's unbelievable!"

"_Your_ baby sister? You must be joking!" Loki gave the other man a once over. "From what I could tell, it's amazing that you speak the same language, you're so different."

"ha bloody ha. Go wank yourself, dirty bastard."

...

Wendy had agreed to meet the men behind a cafe. With the way Natsu had been acting within the guild, it was extremely important for Gray and Loki not to get caught. The guild members, aside from Natsu and Lisanna, were in on the plan. They were willing to try anything to get the guild running properly again, even agreeing to forgive the two men for being a major cause of the attack. Wearing identical hoods and cloaks, they looked almost identical, with similar builds and heights; the only difference was their change in hair colour and nature. They agreed to split and make their own way into the master's sick room.

Loki used the shadows to his advantage; a light user, he was able to see in absolute darkness and he used this to hide in the dark places of the guild. Gray had designed his ice to become a second human body; the difference would only be noticed when touched, wherein which the clone retained its cold features and brittle nature. He moulded the ice to give him a similar figure to Gildarts, or Elfman (A/N no dirty thoughts, people). Using the ice clone, he created enough of a distraction to slip past the members and sprint up the stairs to the office-turned-sickroom. Loki had arrived several seconds before.

On seeing the old man so frail in bed, both men felt their hearts clench. Makarov was laying in bed, pale and unmoving. He looked to have aged ten years in the past week; the joy and confidence gone from his expressions. Standing beside the bed, they saw the Guild Master stir before opening his eyes slowly. A sad smile crossed his face on recognising his visitors.

"Gray... Loki..."

"Shh... Have a drink first," Gray held a glass of water to the man's lips, giving him time to drink and rehydrate. "We can wait."

After drinking his fill, the master looked up and sighed. "There are a few reasons why I wanted your presence here. One was to apologise; if possible, I would very much like it for Lee and Blaze to return to the guild. If you can convince Lee to remain another year without challenging, I will be willing to permit his fight with Natsu, whether he is nominated for the next exam or not."

"That can be arranged. He has been agreeing to further training and was not planning to challenge anytime soon."

"That's good. Hrmph," Makarov sat up, ready to speak of the next matter "However, that is not the main reason I called for your attention today. It regards the mission Wendy took thirteen years before. A mission which she finally completed in the past week."

Waiting for more information, Loki and Gray did not have any idea as to what the old man was about to say. Wendy addressed the subject to them instead, hoping to give them a detailed enough overview before their time ran out.

"The mission has some relation to what happened to Lucy during her pregnancy. In fact, I was not the only one to be given the order, all three dragon slayers was to follow. We were all collecting information on a certain dark guild." The blue haired doctor walked to the door to ensure total privacy. Gray frowned upon remembering such a thing; all the dragon slayers had left on a mission together, each with their cat partners and nobody else. Only Natsu had returned, announcing his completion to the entire town. "Gajeel and Natsu followed through their orders, as did I, but Natsu had a problem which led to his early completion. He had only discovered part of the information needed, affecting the entire research and also being the major cause behind why he chose to believe the bandits twelve years ago."

Clearing her throat, Wendy looked at the ceiling, deep in thought. "Our mission was to discover the secrets behind the dark guild 'Dragon's Claw'. It is a guild known for their efforts to emulate the dragon slayers; their history can be traced back for centuries. Nobody knows why they have not been totally destroyed, but many have the suspicion that it may include corrupt council members.

"We had begun by travelling together, first looking into the guild's history. The beginning of the mission had been simple; all three of us found the reason why they wanted our power. They aimed for world domination, using the seven dragon types for all areas of strength. We also found how they planned to copy our magic, there were written documents on their kidnapping attempts. Unfortunately, Natsu believed it was enough and returned. His confidence had broken up the group, leading to my lone travels. Master Makarov had allowed for Levy to follow Gajeel in his journeys; her intelligence was greatly appreciated in finding the clues.

"Natsu's information had been a false setup made to trick us. His boastful return had reassured the Dragon's Claw in returning to their original goal; they were, in fact, looking to steal something other than dragon slaying magic. The relief caused a lot of information to fly past and be sealed without trouble. It is only years later that Gajeel, Levy and I have uncovered the truth."

Makarov coughed to raise the others attention. "Wendy, before you continue, allow me to explain the history of the guild's goal."

Receiving her approval, he went on,

"Going back over two decades, the strongest holder mage known to the magic world at the time was Layla Heartphilia; A fully trained mage who, at 29 years of age, was in her prime. The guild's attempt to overpower the magic community was destroyed when Layla sacrificed her life to control the excess magic energy and bring back peace to Fiore.

"Ten years on, Dragon's Claw returned and, in having increased their army and power, they can attack any time they want. In spite of this, older members did not want a repeat of the past and intended to hold full control of their own magic. It just so happened that, at this time of discussion, they came across a famous Fairy Tail mage who, at 17 years old, looked the spitting image of their old enemy. That mage's name was Lucy Heartphilia; she was labelled the young genius master of celestial spirits, having tripled her set of gold keys in a matter of months. However, she was not their only target. They had another lady, who went by the name Katrina Natsume; a woman known to possess the strongest ability in magic manipulation, the sensory ability." Turning back to Wendy, he said "Wendy, I leave the rest of the story to you."

"Thank you, Master. Now, as I was saying, Natsu received false information which had resulted in his firm belief of Lucy's betrayal. The guild had, in fact been targeting mages who had control type magic and abilities. They also had the skills to cover their tracks so deep that we had trouble uncovering the truth some years later." The mage sat down "Natsu had become, in a way, conceited in his knowledge, thinking too much of his own magic ability and ignoring the warning signs around him to protect his nakama. When Master Makarov warned him against a mission the following year, he dismissed the advice, dragging Lucy to the mission as well. They had fallen into Dragon's Claw's trap, having fallen in so deep that groups would either come out stronger than before, or broken beyond repair."

"When Lisanna came to rescue him several days later, she believed Natsu's side of the story. The guild is loyal to the members, but they were with Natsu for far longer and had never known him to lie, unintentionally or maliciously. Because of this, all stood against Lucy when she returned; nobody, not even Erza, was willing to listen to a fairly new member against their own younger brother, who grew up with them and was always an honest and fiercely honourable kid. If he said that Lucy was a traitor, then a traitor she would become in the eyes of the guild and, until the day that Natsu himself can announce her innocence, Lucy will remain a traitor."

During this explanation, Gray could be seen, face in his hands as he recalled the tragedy that happened afterwards. He had understood how Lucy was injured but no one had known the real reason behind it. On recalling something the master had mentioned earlier, he clenched his fists tightly. The guild had targeted Lucy's pregnancy; had they gotten away with their plans, they would have achieved both holder magic and dragon slaying blood from the blonde. Not only that, they would have ensured no obstacles were in their path.

_Katrina Natsume. The name sounds so... _

Gray straightened up, now fully understanding the master's words.

"Katrina Natsume! That's Blaze's mum isn't it?" Loki looked up, absolutely gobsmacked. On seeing their expressions, Makarov nodded mournfully.

"That is right. I had Levy trace Blaze's blood last night. It is for certain that Katrina is his mother; unfortunately, she did not have the same support from some friends as Lucy did. The entire incident had meant that she was exiled from her own village, the only place she felt comfortable. In addition to this, she was weak in producing magic and couldn't survive long in magic running state. After giving birth, she only lived till Blaze's fifth birthday before falling asleep; the lack of medical support meant that she died soon afterwards, leaving Blaze alone and defenceless. Her old 'friends' only took in the boy to strip him of his inheritance before disposing of him several cities away."

The truth had pierced Gray's heart, a blade twisting itself deeper and deeper, until he couldn't breathe. Blaze, his son Blaze, had lived through such an ordeal. His sweet young boy had grown up, only beginning to remember his mother before her death. His guardians had made sure that he was left with no confidence of ever feeling happiness again.

For once, Gray felt useless. Feeling himself fall into a dark pool of regret, he stopped listening as he tried to control the feeling of unbearable sadness towards Blaze. A slam on a table brought him back to reality; he turned to see a livid Loki standing before him.

"Don't you dare feel regretful, Gray! Blaze was never judged by his past and it's not going to start now! Don't forget Gray, HE'S YOUR SON NOW! Whatever he suffered, you can make him forget it with memories, memories of a real family"

"Thanks mate. I could always rely on you to make me feel better." The ice mage smiled gratefully, shaking his head of negative thoughts. "So, master, what is it that you intend to do, now that you have found out the truth?"

"... I still have Gajeel out there, searching for the exact whereabouts of Dragon's Claw. For now, we cannot do anything, lest we make another mistake a great as Natsu's. Instead, Gray and Loki, please can you encourage the boys to return to the guild? To get Natsu to even listen to Lucy's case, we have to warm him up to his own son first, and nothing can start before the guild finds out the truth of what happened thirteen years ago, even if it kills them because of the guilt."

"_It's time to set this guild free of their faults, once and for all."_

...

To Be Continued

* * *

><p>AN- Thank you all for reading this chapter. Remember, both Gray and Loki are S-class mages, therefore are very skilled in their magic control. Gray's technique consisted of different elements of magic, including a transformation and manipulation magic to manage his ice 'self'. Thinking about it, the whole idea is bonkers

The suspense is ON.

R&R


	9. Chapter 9

A/N- ... :)

NOTE! It was written before that the guild found out about the relationship between Natsu and Lee. HOWEVER... the guild had decided not to tell Natsu about this; he is only told about the heart attack and Gray's involvement in it

So NATSU DOES NOT KNOW... Sorry for not clarifying this in the story... (~-~)

Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Chapter 8<p>

...

"_Lee, Blaze, Master Makarov would like you to return to the guild."_

"_..."_

"_He has agreed to allow your challenge with Natsu, Lee, on the condition that you stay for one more year; whether or not you will be nominated in the next exams."_

"_Will he forgive me? Will the guild forgive me? I did a bad deed and made everyone angry..."_

"_Listen, Lee. Everybody's worried about you, they want you to return! Without you, they don't feel happy anymore! It's the same with Blaze as well."_

"_... Really?"_

"_Yep! Oh, and one more thing... Makarov has allowed us all to live together. That means we can be a happy family without hiding!"_

"_... Does that mean I can call you dad again?"_

_(smiles) "My dear son, you can always call me dad. I am your father, after all. Hey, hey, don't cry Blaze! Aww, not you too Lee! Come over here, both of you. My two little crybabies, what am I gonna do with you, huh?"_

"_Love you, Daddy!"_

...

The guild watched the two boys enter nervously who, not didn't know how the guild was going to take their news of return.

"... Hey guys, We're back...?" Lee's voice echoed, settling several seconds before the guild exploded with cheers.

"WELCOME BACK, LEE AND BLAZE!"

The noise knocked both boys off their feet, before being crowded over by the other members. They were carried to a large table, receiving pats all around. On reaching their destination, they stood up to notice the exam nominees standing in front of them. Bixlow, Alzack, Satoshi, Lightning, Romeo, Zero, Tenjou and Joy; the official eight who will fight their way to become an S-class mage. Lee straightened before them and waited with baited breath. Romeo smiled as he called for everybody's attention.

"AHEM. Attention all! I would like to make an announcement! We, the exam nominees have made a decision which the Master has agreed to. Lee and Blaze can, unofficially, fight alongside us during the exam. They will not become S-class mages, but it is a way of powering up. So, what do you say?"

"...Please?"

The response was a roar, hands pumping in the air with joy. A joy that was short lived when Natsu and Lisanna entered.

Having not seen the boys before, Natsu was confused that the members were so alive so soon after the Master's heart attack. Walking up to the kids, he looked them up and down. He then glanced at Romeo, who stood to their side.

"You brought in these new members, or something? They seem strong." Romeo just smiled, shaking his head.

"Nah, they joined last year. Natsu, meet Lee Grayson and Blaze Natsume; boys, this is the famous S-class mage Natsu. Beside him is Lisanna and the cat is Happy."

Lee stepped forward, hands feeling sweaty as he mustered the words he had planned years to say to his father. His friends were silently supporting him, wishing for a pleasant enough first meeting.

"It's an honour meeting you... sir...?" On the last word, Natsu released a full smile, instantly liking the boy before him. He winked, holding out a hand.

"Heh, just call me Natsu. Pleasure to meet you too, Lee" the older man then shuffled the hat atop Lee's head before grinning at Blaze. "Pleasure to meet you too, Blaze. Both of you, welcome to Fairy Tail."

"Aye!" Happy flew into their view, shocking the boys into silence, "Do you like fish?"

"It talks!" Blaze sputtered "The cat is blue and talks! Dad, the cat talks..."

Gray just patted his son's head, smirking at the shocked small group. "Let me introduce you again. Natsu, Lisanna, meet my son Blaze Natsume Fullbuster. Expert at wind and ice magic, genius behind the missions, and the kid with the most awesome dad ever. Don't you agree, son?"

"Yeah!"

The salmon haired mage stared at the boy again, trying to process one piece of information. "Didja knock up a girl, ice bastard?"

"Maybe I can, unlike some hot as... doesn't matter, don't wanna risk it."

"Too scared?"

Gray just sighed, like the world was on his shoulders. Several others laughed at the comment; they knew how lethal Lee could get when insulted, and insulted he would be if the ice mage had carried on with his sentence.

Blaze was still staring intently at Happy, circling him once. He then poked the cats tummy, which released a small squeak. On scratching the cat's head, he heard a loud purr and giggled, motioning his best friend over.

"Look, Lee! The cat's really cool!"

"Aye! I AM a cat!" Happy flew past them to snatch a fish and sat to chew happily on his second snack of the hour. "Yumm.."

"LOKII!" Aquarius slammed the doors open, targeting the lion spirit and pointing an accusing finger towards his direction. "You bastard! What the hell did you do?"

Said man coughed a laugh into his hand. "Just say it's payback for the picture that you STILL haven't thrown away."

"Oh, really? Well, if you want to play that way, then I certainly wouldn't mind, Bitch!" with a wave of her hand, the mermaid released all her posters of the dreaded 'threesome' photo. Grinning triumphantly, she stuck her tongue out "Let's see what your 'fans' have to say about this, huh? I've paid for advert spaces all the way up to the Fiore border. That's what you get for recording my happy time with Scorpio, sucker!"

For the second time, Loki's screams of agony could be heard from miles around. Romeo sat next to him and placed a comforting hand on his back.

"Face it, Leo. You could never beat a girl, especially one with a grudge. Wow, you really screwed up bad time, didn't you?"

...

"Wow!" Lee ran to the end of the corridor, checking out the new apartment(s) Blaze, Gray and himself had moved into. "This is great! Hey, Blaze, look at the view!"

"Look, dad! We can see the river from here!" The younger boy joined his friend by the windowsill, gasping at the beautiful city view. "This place must be expensive!"

"It's a reasonable rate, 150,000 jewels a month for both apartments. The only bad point is that there are only two rooms. I'm afraid you two will have to share."

"That's okay! We don't mind. But why did you choose this house anyway, Gray? You have your own house near here."

"Your room used to be your mum's home, during her time in the guild. I thought you might like to relive the experience she had living here." With this statement, Gray attracted Lee's full attention. "The only difference is that the landlady has allowed me to add a door to join our apartments together, for a higher rent. If you need anything, I'm only a door knock away, guys. After you unpack, I want to train on your primary magics, just to check that you're still in practice. Lee, I also want for us to discuss about your contract with the celestial spirits; I believe it's time for you to have full reign on the keys, now that you have improved so much."

With that said, Gray left to unpack his own items. Lee leapt on a bed and bounced giddily, rolling around before falling in an ungraceful heap on the floor. Not checking for damages, he got straight back up and hugged Blaze, dancing happily.

"Blaze! We're in my mum's old apartment! Do you think there's secrets in the room? Like a secret diary, or something? Shall we look?"

Blaze watched unapprovingly with his arms crossed. "Lee! Dad said that we have to unpack, though."

"Aww, just for a sec! It won't take long." The fire mage took off his hat and snatched a sheet to wrap around his head. "I know! Let's become ninjas, hiding from the guards while looking to steal treasure!"

His friend looked on for a while, before dropping his hands, sighing world wearily. He then got into a fighting stance. "We must infiltrate the base; it is of importance that we recover the national treasure, Nin nin!"

"Nin nin!"

...

"Hmm... it seems you both are still fluent in your moves; shows that you have been practicing in secret. Good job!"

Gray received beams as a response from the boys, both tired from their training but happy to use their natural magic forms again. He then tossed a bunch of keys to Lee, who caught it deftly.

"Lee, I've already wrote out the standard contract for the spirits and each has listed down their available times; they have also been returned to the other world, earlier today. All you have to do is read and sign. Please hurry up, I can feel my magic draining like an unplugged sink full of water."

The boy laughed, before taking the papers and stamping it with his blood. Not the usual way of signing, obviously, but he couldn't be bothered to find a pen, much less sign the damned thing. On seeing the incredulous looks from both father and son, he shrugged then grinned unrepentantly.

"Seems like you take after your father more than we knew. You lazy idiot."

"Hehe, thanks."

_(smack)_ "It wasn't a compliment!"

...

"So what type of mages are you?" Natsu was relaxed at the guild. Having just completed a long mission, he was in no hurry to begin another; instead, he was using his time to find out about the (relatively) new guild members. He was currently eating a meal of fire steak, downed with a flame beer.

"I'm a fire type. I specialise in offence and hard attacks."

"I'm a wind type, specialising in defence and soft attacks. I can also do ice magic, like dad"

"Woow! Really?" The mage put down his food to look interestedly at the boys. "You're, like, partners then?"

"We are partners. Me and Blaze have been together since we were seven!" Lee thumped his chest proudly. "We're the best of friends. I would die before betraying my best friend!"

"Uh-huh! And Lee, it's 'Blaze and I' "

"Who cares?"

"I see. Oh, hey Lisanna." the pale haired woman sat on Natsu's lap, ignoring the fact that there were minors beside them. The man looked uncomfortable, not knowing how to stop his girlfriend. He was used to this show of affection, but never usually in front of children.

"Hey, babe. I missed you earlier."

Lee watched on silently, just taking in the scene while finishing his dinner. The guild watched with him, anticipating his reaction on seeing his dad kiss a woman; unsurprisingly, he didn't disappoint.

"Hey, Lisanna!" the boy stood up, smiling widely at the takeover mage. "I saw you earlier!"

"Oh, really?" Lisanna finally turned to glance quickly at the speaker. "and where did you see me?"

"You were with the other monkeys, swinging from trees in the forest. You had a red bottom, which was very funny."

"_(cough) _er, Lee, I think you meant Baboons? Gorillas don't have red bums"

"Oh, then you were with the other baboons! Thanks, Blaze!"

... _(snigger)_

"YOU BRAT! Stop **laughing**, everybody!" The entire guild had collapsed into a pile of laughter, Natsu included. It was to Lee's advantage that Lisanna's siblings were not present at that time to protect her. On the other hand, both kids were smart enough to escape before the witch got her hands on them.

Coincidently, the master was wheeled into the room during Lisanna's tirade. He raised an eyebrow at the woman, who suddenly went silent.

"What seems to be the matter? Did these boys annoy you in some way?" said boys had sought refuge behind his wheelchair, sporting puppy eyes and an aura of innocence. It was an innocent expression that most had learnt to interpret, even the master. However, he was'nt going to spoil the fun now, was he?

"No, master" Lisanna had to force the words between clenched teeth, her whole body tense with anger.

"Ah! So some kind of mistake, then? Don't be too angry at them, dear. They're angels; they would never purposefully hurt another, don't you think, Lisanna?"

"... That's right master. They're _angels_. Hmph!" the woman stamped her way to the door. Behind her, Lee and Blaze had hugged Master Makarov and smiled.

"Old man! Did we tell you how much we loved you today?"

"I don't believe you have. I also don't think you've told me what happened before I came in."

"...oops! Gotta go! It's time for our training. See you later!"

"HEY! GET BACK HERE!" the boys left, giggling to themselves and having achieved their mischief of the day. The guild master was left behind, groaning slightly at their antiques.

"They'll be the death of me!"

...

...

**_...Where am I? Lee? Gray? Where are you?_**

**_Anybody? Can anyone hear me? Help me?_**

**_..._**

**_It hurts, please come back! Lee! Help me! Loki!_**

**_I don't want anymore! Please!_**

**_(sobbing)_**

**_No, stop! Please, don't hurt me anymore._**

**_..._**

**_Please...help me.. somebody..._**

_..._

To Be Continued

* * *

><p>AN- (gasp) .goshers!

Something bad has happened to Lucy!

Hey people! I'm here typing with ten blankets around me. The worst of the winter is here, just before the snow when the temperature is WAY cold. I can't open the friggin window without freezing to death. Some parts of England is already snowing, but where I live, it's just wet enough on the ground to melt the snow as it falls. bad times

For those where its hot, I envy you right now. I'll come back to haunt you. Mwahahahaha! Lol

Hope you enjoyed and I'll update soon!


	10. Chapter 10

A/N- dudunnnnn... The suspense kills...

Hey everyone! I'm writing this in the lovely English weather. I'm being sarcastic, dears. The weather sucks, but hey, I've got an opportunity to continue writing!

Christmas is coming up and there is chaos everywhere, people trying to do some last minute shopping, last minute present buying etc. For those who are in this category right now, I feel for you. =)

Hoping for a white Christmas-su...!

Anyway, onto the story!

* * *

><p>Chapter 9<p>

...

"Gray!" Loki burst into the ice mage's room, willing him to be awake at this time of the night. Luckily for him, Gray was a light sleeper, stirring immediately at the sound of his voice. On seeing the look on Loki's face, he sat up immediately and started to put on his clothes.

"What's happened?" he looked to see Virgo standing just behind the light spirit and no Lee. If both had used their powers to get here, then it would have been a very serious matter indeed.

"Somehow, those people had access to Lucy's med room. We felt them try to pry more magic energy out of her." The spirits went on to wear hoods, readying themselves for a long journey. "they would have succeeded had it not been for our suspended contract. Without control over her keys, she has no magic present within her; holder magic can only be found if the magic user is in command of their spirits, which she is not. However, the ordeal has deeply wounded her and is affecting her recovery."

"Master Gray, we are going to bring her back to Magnolia. It is a risk, but we have no other choice; Sapphire may have the equipment, but she does not have the protection that Lucy requires. She will have to agree to our bringing the equipment with us." Virgo handed over the keys of their two spirits to Gray. "For the moment, we are not signed with Lee. Lucy's contract is suspended until the time when she is in dire need of assistance and that is now. Lee doesn't know this, so you must tell the boys when they awake. If we do not return in the next forty days, it is of utmost importance that you move the boys to a safer place. Those people may be looking for more holder magic, especially if the person has a sensory ability."

"With their previous knowledge of Lucy's pregnancy with a dragon slaying child, they will predict your close communication with this guild and with Natsu. We have no time to inform anyone of our change in plans, so it will be your responsibility to let the Master know and to train the boys to their full potential. We are expecting war; the confidence those people are portraying is indicating a readiness to battle. We cannot win, if not for Lee and Blaze. They are our hope and you are their teacher; we are placing our full trust in you to put them at their strongest."

"_**They are our key to victory."**_

...

"I see," Makarov looked grave on hearing what was being said. It was still dark outside, with the guild in full swing party mode below. Gray had thought it best to inform the master immediately, leaving the boys in the sick room to rest. He wasn't taking any chances by leaving them alone at home. "I will prepare the secret room for Lucy's arrival. It will be best for her to stay close, hence I will place her at the heart of the guild. No one has to know of this, of course; we will have to manoeuvre the situation so that she arrives on the day of a festival. Better yet, she arrives on the day of the S-class exams."

Wendy listened quietly before speaking up. "Gray, has Lee noticed the missing keys yet? Or have you told them anything about this?"

"No to both. Loki and Virgo just left half an hour ago, whilst Lee was sleeping; he hasn't had a chance to check over his keys yet. I also do not know whether I should reveal the truth, or tell them another story. There are consequences to both, but, what is the lesser evil?"

The guild master sighed dejectedly. "To be honest, I really don't know. I feel it's dangerous to tell Lee that his mother is in an unstable condition right now. On the other hand, withholding this information may have worse results; he may never learn to trust again." he looked sternly at Gray, "Are you going to tell Natsu? He's going to know that he's a dad sometime, Gray! You're just delaying the inevitable."

Said man shrugged; he wasn't wasting the effort to tell a man who didn't care. Gray didn't tell the older man, but he was leaving the secret for Natsu to either find out himself, or for Lee to reveal it. After all, Lee was the person to decide whether or not he wanted a father figure in his life.

"For now, I don't think that's very important, Master. Instead, the issue we have to sort out is whether or not we tell the boys the real situation."

"Don't tell Lee and Blaze yet, Gray. I will find a way to tell them later; as a dragon slayer and a wind user, it might also be beneficial for me to take up training them as well. If you can schedule a time when you are not with them, or need to be on a mission, I will watch them in your place." Wendy handed him a small card. "This is a message board that I acquired in my travels. Anytime you need help, just write on it and I will receive your message immediately. The writing will fade after several minutes so that you can reuse the sheet later on. It also does not require a pen."

"Thanks Wendy. I may need to separate from them often. Loki said he was to bring the machine along, but made no mention of the energy source or the quantity. For that reason, I will need to leave in order to find a long lasting energy source that can work alongside the guild's magic to use the equipment; I have a time limit of four weeks, though. Do you have any suggestion, Master? A source that is long lasting and quick to find?"

"...If you are desperate for a quick source then the only thing I can suggest is the energy crystal. HOWEVER, you must be extremely skilled to retrieve it; it used to be in the hands of a very strong mage, who used all elements in his magic. Before his death, he announced his willingness to give away this crystal, on the condition that the retriever passes all the obstacles that guard it. Your only way of survival is if there are at least four element users in your group." The master frowned slightly, coming to a decision. "The only way to get this crystal is if you agree to take Wendy, Lee and Blaze with you. The mission is extremely dangerous but, if you succeed, you will benefit in retrieving an energy source while also bringing the boys to the strongest of their abilities. The mission itself will only take a maximum of one week, so you have plenty of time to make a decision. Wendy, you must go along as their healer and to support them as a fellow element user as well."

"I understand, Master."

The man paused suddenly, as if to remember one vital piece of information. He turned to stare at the ice mage, delivering his final words. "I must also command you to take another member along with you, in your quest. He will be of great help to you and will support you where Lee cannot."

"No, master!" Gray immediately understood the meaning behind those words. "I may have learnt to act normally around him, but it does not mean I forgive him! Natsu and I have not worked together since the team broke up twelve years ago. I will not agree to work with him again, especially on a mission that concerns Lucy's safety. If he were to find out the truth, only God knows what he might do."

"It's the only way I will allow you to take the boys on this mission, Gray! You may be able to fight for yourself, but the boys lives are on stake on this mission! It is crucial that you and Wendy agree to Natsu travelling with you, even with the slight friction between you."

The silence was full of tension, as Gray fully understood the risks of this mission.

"Is there no other energy source?"

"None that will allow you back in time for Lucy's arrival. It's this mission with Natsu, or none at all."

"Fine, I will think about it and get back to you."

...

"Dad? What's happened to Loki and Virgo's keys? Lee hasn't counted them yet so he doesn't know they're missing."

Blaze had woken up to find them in the guild sick beds. Knowing that his father would have a reason for their move, he hadn't commented on it, instead going about with his daily activities. However, he was a very analytical child and noted the absence of two keys in Lee's bunch; it alerted him to suspect that there was something important happening and he wanted to know why.

On seeing the child's intent gaze, Gray knew that his son was intelligent enough to detect any lies. He took him to the side and built a soundproof ice wall to ensure total privacy.

"Blaze, what I am going to tell you must never be spoken to anyone, even Lee." Blaze nodded "Lucy has been attacked; Loki and Virgo have been sent to bring her home and ensure that nobody repeats such attack again."

Eyes wide, the boy questioned "Why is Lee not told of this?"

"Because, we cannot risk Lee making a move against the people in question. They are very clever and any move that is not calculated can lead to the destruction of Fiore. Until we can determine the Lee is in complete control, or until Lucy has arrived, we are not to tell him of this. Got that?"

Blaze nodded again to receive a hug from the ice mage.

"Another thing, Blaze. We may have to go on a very dangerous mission; just me, you, Lee, Wendy and Natsu. It will test you to your highest of abilities and you will have to make use of all your magical abilities to survive. You have a high chance of death, but the results will be ten times what you will achieve in normal training and missions. Would you still go?"

"I would, dad! I don't care how hard the mission is, as long as I can get stronger to protect Lucy! Lee might not want to, because his dad's there, though."

"Well, we'll just have to convince them, right? Wanna help?"

"Yeah. I can get Lee now."

"Great!"

...

"Lee Grayson! Asuka!" hands on hips, Blaze looked down at the heap on the floor. The two rivals had been at it again, when he entered the main room. He had stopped their fights by using the wind to propel them into the wall, leaving them injured and bruised on the floor.

"Hey, Blaze! You coulda warned us before using that attack! It really, really hurts!" almost instantly, Lee was on his feet, complaining about the pain. The smaller boy just smirked, which annoyed his friend even more and resulted in a small sulk. Asuka was in a similar position, stomping off to her parents and pouting outrageously.

"I wanted to tell you something, but you wasn't listening!"

"... well?" The wind mage sighed at the sight before him. Lee had his arms crossed and was tapping his foot furiously; a big sign of an injured ego.

"Come with me. Dad wanted to tell you as well, you know!"

...

"Well, that's the story. Would you mind coming, Lee?"

"..."

"..."

"..._(snigger)"_

"BLAZE! What the hell, man?" Lee gave his friend a massive dirty; he_ had_ just been told an important piece of information and what does his friend do? He _sniggers_.

"What? Your face was just too funny, what with you trying to think and all."

"Hmph. Gray, why should I go? You know I don't wanna be with Natsu" the tall boy sounded a little whiny since he was still recovering from his sulk earlier on.

"Lee, you want to challenge Natsu quickly, right? Well, how else will you stronger in a short time? If you agree to this, you can also watch how Natsu fights and not be so secretive about it!"

"_(blush) _I don't watch him!... fine, I do, but still!"

"What, Lee? You a coward, or something?"

"No! I'm not a coward!"

"heh, oh really? Prove it."

"I don't need to, 'cause I'm going on this mission! Bleh!"

_(clapping)_

"Yay! Thanks Lee!"

"... _(sulks)"_

...

Gray entered the guild to find his target sitting down alone, at the bar. He walked up to him and nodded, before sitting on a stool.

"Hey, Natsu"

"Hey." The man was staring intently into a glass of beer. He wasn't in the mood for any fire snacks, nor could he go home at the moment. Lisanna had been angry enough to trash his house with so much rubbish, the smell of rotten fish still lingered one week later. He was left without a home and had to camp at the guild for the past week. She had tried to make up, later on; Natsu was not amused.

"I need to talk to you." The ice wizard's statement caused a raised eyebrow.

"You need to talk to _me_? Must be something important, huh? "

"Yep, very important. I, er, need you to..." Gray coughed slightly "I want to do a certain mission. Problem is, I have to take you as well. So... er, wanna come?"

"...huh?"

"AS I SAID, I need you to come with me on a mission."

"Right. You want me to go with you on a mission. And?"

"Well, I need to do this mission, so you have to come! I'll even pay you!"

"... is everything alright in there? You've never needed to do something so much that you required my help. Why start now? Plus, you'll _pay_ me?"

"Look, will you go, or not?"

"... Fine, I'll go. It's not like I can relax here anyway, with a trashed house and all." The pink haired man stood up and placed some change on the counter. "I'll just need to pack my things and tell Happy. When are we going?"

"If possible, I want to finish by next week, so we'll meet here at 7 am tomorrow?"

"Okay then, see you then."

After Natsu had disappeared from his sight, Gray flopped down tiredly. Wow, he never that persuading someone could be so hard.

Early the next morning, seven figures (five human and two cats) could be seen leaving the guild. Nobody knew of their mission and no one knew how long they would be gone for. However, they were given the best of luck by all, leaving to the sounds of cheers and celebrations. A lone person was seen from the balcony, watching over his dear children and praying for their safety. The mission will be hard and it was crucial that they kept alert and that all stayed together, through everything they did.

...  
>...<p>

To Be Continued

* * *

><p>AN- GAH! My gosh, people! The real adventure begins now... will Gray and others retrieve the crystal safely? Will Lucy return to find her darling son in one piece? Will Lucy return at all?

Read on and find out, my dear readers.

Update soon ;)


	11. Chapter 11

A/N- ... Hey, everyone! I've got so much to type up, I just wish that the computer can scan everything from my brain... obviously, no can do. Boo hoo... (-.-*)

This story is just getting to the BEST part and I just want it all there as soon as possible, sooo

Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Chapter 10<p>

_...It's hot... I'm burning..._

_...Help me..._

"We are here, princess. Let me help you get comfortable."

_...That voice..._

_...Virgo...Virgo!.._

"Shhhh. Its okay now, we're not going to let them hurt you anymore. Here, can you swallow this? It will cool you down, princess. We're here to bring you home; you will soon be back with your son and your family."

_...Thank you..._

"You're welcome. Now rest; Loki and I will watch over you. "

...

"... eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve and thirteen..." Lee tilted his head confusedly, as if trying to calculate the difference in his head. Obviously puzzled, he decided to recount his set of keys instead. "One, two, three..."

Blaze just walked alongside him, staring at the confusion and smiling. "Having some trouble calculating? I knew you didn't like maths, but _counting_? Man..."

"Shut up, Blaze." Lee didn't even glance at the person beside him, instead turning to the ice mage. "Graay! Why do I have less keys? I am missing... I'm missing Loki and Virgo!"

Natsu had paused at the mention of the celestial spirits, but carried on thinking nothing of Lee's words. For all he knew, Gray had given the boy the spirits to help him; he didn't need to have any relation with Lucy to keep the keys.

"Loki needed to complete something a few days back; he brought Virgo to help him. Don't worry, they'll be back before you know it."

"Hmmmmmm, okay! How far from the place are we? Can't we take the train?"

"URK." The unexpected sound brought everyone's attention to Natsu, who turned an unbelievable shade of purple. What was expected were the smirks evident on Gray, Happy and Wendy's faces.

"There a problem, Natsu? Have you disagreed with something we said?" his 'friends' were having a lot of fun with this. After all, since several years back, the man had adamantly refused to even stand beside a train, for fear of being pushed in. Certainly, the newer guild members had not a clue as to why and Natsu was too proud to confess. "Do you, by chance, hate public transport?"

"I'm sorry, Natsu. If you don't like trains, then we can walk..." The puppy dog eyes were lethal and he received a massive double dose. He was shocked into a coughing fit, so surprised by their manipulation. The fire mage made a note to never let them appear in his presence again, even if he threatened its disappearance.

"Er, we can go on the trains if you want to."

"YES! I mean, thanks Natsu!" the boys nudged each other, others silently applauding their small performance. Natsu didn't have to know this, but both already knew of his big weakness; it was something that Lucy was always openly thankful for. Lee had not inherited this certain trait off his father. "We promise to be good!"

...

"Shit. Never again."

Natsu didn't care about his image at the moment. After avoiding public transport for the past few years, his nausea had returned like a storm. In addition to this, the journey had lasted a cruel ten hours; this was worse than any torture he had ever received, _ever_.

Staggering off the train at a small town, the group ignored his moans; he would be better after a night of sleep. The mission was at a place not far from the town, a two hours walk which would begin the next afternoon. Master Makarov had said that they started at the mouth of a cave, where they would face their first obstacle; only half of the challenging mages had passed and many of those who had were too injured to continue anyway. The mission was extremely dangerous and they had to keep their wits around them. It was believed that only one had passed all five stages; a mage who sought to get stronger and had no use for the prize. He left with nothing but the clothes on his back and the pride of a victor.

For the moment, the group had booked three rooms to rest and gather their courage. Unfortunately for Lee, Blaze had wanted to stay near his dad so he agreed to stay with Natsu and Happy. Having never stayed near the man alone, he struggled to talk or even do anything; usually his friend stood next to him, supporting him. Another problem arose when the boy absent-mindedly took his hat off and ruffled his hair. His father saw the hair colour and doubled over in shock.

"Lee, you have pink hair?"

Oh, _crap._

"...um, yeah. I was born with pink hair" the boy scratched his head and ducked his head shyly. "It's kinda embarrassing so I hide it."

"So I'm not the only guy, huh?" Natsu grinned, "Well now I've seen it, I won't let you go by wearing a hat all the time. We pink hairs will stick together, got that?"

"I don't want to!"

"Why you...! Urgh." Natsu made an effort to sit up, but flopped down, defeated. "I'll get you, just not today..."

Lee giggled at the sight before him; his father, the strong mage of Fairy Tail was defeated by public transport. It was almost laughable and still, a small part of him celebrated over the idea of having missed this trait.

He made his way downstairs to buy dinner and paused to call Blaze from his room; however he stopped on seeing the boy sleeping, with Gray brushing the hair off his son's face lovingly. Lee felt a pang of envy; he felt a sudden wave of home sickness, missing his mum deeply. Detecting some tears, he ran quickly to a toilet to compose himself. It had been over a year since he saw his beloved mother's face; would she ever wake up?

_...Mummy, please wake up...I really, really miss you..._

...

"Oh, wow! When the Master mentioned a cave entrance, I didn't expect one THIS big!" Wendy exclaimed cheerfully, looking impressed at the cave. "Not exactly the dark cave and nightmares, is it?"

The opening was as large as a mansion and lit brightly with candles. A table of refreshments greeted them inside; with a small note attached to the tray. Gray looked at the message and whistled softly.

"What does the letter say, Gray?"

"Hear read it yourself."

_**Dearest challenger,**_

_**If you are reading this message, then the challenge to retrieve the Energy Crystal has not been removed from its place in the centre. Please make yourself at home, partake in all the food and drinks that are provided, for this will become your last luxury until you succeed, or fail. **_

_**The rules to my offer are simple enough; you defeat all obstacles presented and you have ownership of this valuable energy source. There is a time limit of one week within which basic food and medical services will be provided after challenges. After this, you may continue, but at your own risk. Once entered, you cannot leave and once left, you cannot return. Failure to succeed an obstacle will forfeit your chance to retrieve the jewel; you will leave the premises immediately, if you haven't already succumbed to your injuries.**_

_**There are five set challenges, all using a different form of elemental magic: Fire, Water, Wind, Metal and Air. You will find a way to defeat each; teams must have full trust in your nakama, or you will, undoubtedly, fail miserably.**_

_**I wish you all the luck in your quest for victory,**_

_**All the Best,**_

_**Marcelo**_

"...wow... that sounds like a very very hard test, then!"

"D'ya think it's safe to eat this? He wouldn't poison us would he?"

"I wouldn't believe so." Wendy walked over to the platter and studied it. She then nodded approvingly. "Yep. The food is safe to eat. Everyone at least have a bite, or it may seem rude to our host."

"Okay! Itadakimasu!"

...

Virgo sat by Lucy's bedside, closely watching for a sign of life and talking to the figure cheerfully. They had been there several hours, having travelled for two days and only arriving that morning. So far, she had not seen any difference; as a spirit though, she could feel what Lucy felt. Her pain, her suffering, and her will to live were all apparent. Through it all, she would become stronger, for herself and her beloved Lee.

"Just a little longer, princess. You'll reunite with master Lee soon." Feeling her thirst, Virgo fed the woman another piece of ice. It was an easier, and less messy, way of quenching her master's thirst, as opposed to through a tube.

Lucy's appearance had not changed vastly; had she not known of the situation, the maid would have only seen a sleeping woman. For the moment, she seemed at peace and content, knowing that her son was accepted, was in the centre of her own guild training happily. Not a finger twitched, nor a smile appear, but her whole body was far more relaxed than it had been five hours earlier.

A sound was heard from the bedside, causing Virgo to raise her head, then gasp astounded. Lucy was awake.

"Brother! BROTHER!" Loki ran into the room, ready for battle. "No, no! Look at princess! Look at..."

On glancing back, Lucy seemed the same as before, unmoving and cold.

"I don't understand! She just opened her eyes!" the maid was inconsolable, trying to convince the lion to believe her. Loki did not want to raise his hopes, so rang for the nurse who was nearby

"It's a common occurrence in comatose patients. They may open their eyes, smile or even cry."

"But this is Lucy! From what we've heard in the last year, she hasn't even_ moved a muscle_! Do you think this might mean a difference in her condition?"

"I- I don't know, s-sir. Y-you'll have to a-ask the doctor."

"Where is she?"

"I-I'll call her now." The nurse fled the room as fast as she could. She was new to the hospital and was not accustomed to the differences between the magic ward and the normal parts of the building; in fact, she was only covering for the many nurses who were off sick that week.

"Is there a problem, Mr Loki?" Sapphire entered almost immediately, having heard of the commotion.

"Lucy just opened her eyes; it was a short while, but she definitely opened them!"

The doctor went to her patient's side, looking over Lucy's vitals and manually checking for abnormalities. She paused when looking at the pressure, then frowned deeply.

"Mr Loki, Virgo, I believe I can explain Lucy's actions. It is indeed rare for her to make a single movement and she would not have, had it not been for the disturbance several days back." Sapphire brought the two to see the monitor, "From what we see here, Lucy seems normal and suffers from nothing; nurses will rely on this information and can give a usually accurate diagnosis. However..."

"...However?"

"However, Lucy's blood pressure is extremely low, in fact almost non-existent. Why this was not displayed may be to do with her intruders; their magics may have a deceptive energy to it. Her real condition is not being displayed on screen, nor is it evident to others, beside myself and to you two. It also seems that her condition has changed fairly recently; I didn't see any difference half an hour ago." The doctor coughed, "I know I recommended a days rest before you head off, but after this, I don't think that is possible. You must leave immediately, without giving off any magic which can alert the group."

"That's impossible! How is she going to survive? Lucy needs the magic to live!"

The older woman pursed her lips, obviously reluctant to talk of what she knew. The best way was for the group to travel under the cloak of darkness, with her patient using the magic equipment provided. That being said, it was dangerous and very stupid to know even attempt such a travel. The only other method was to... no, it was harsh, but it was the only way.

"The only other way is for you to kill her."

"_Lucy must die."_

...

"Come on, come on! Why can't we start the quest now?"

After eating such a delicious meal, the adults were reluctant to go forward, groaning and trying to delay the inevitable. Blaze and Lee, however, were jumping excitedly at the entrance to the first task. Impatiently, Lee made a threatening gesture to move alone, bringing all to their feet in alarm; nobody wanted to risk him going alone, for many reasons. A giant golden door decorated with a dragons tail, it portrayed an image that could not be seen elsewhere. Only the bravest of the brave could muster the courage to reach for the handle and in this case, that brave person was Lee.

"No, Lee, wait!" ignoring the commands of his elders, Lee slowly turned the handle to open the gate to their challenge. A dimly lit tunnel invited the group to move forward cautiously; the boys in excitement and the elders in dread.

They reached the end and found another parchment.

_**Welcome,**_

_**I hope you enjoyed your meal, my dear challengers. That will be your last luxury for a long time.**_

_**You will now enter the first of my five challenge chambers; an easy task in theory, a hard task in practice. **_

_**You will brave the storms and waves, making your way to an exit left unseen. My fighter will appear from deep within and you must use your strength to defeat, and win. It greets you as my first task, but it will be as challenging, and as hard as the last. You must master the surf, and go with the flow, or you will never be able to find your goal.**_

_**I wish you all the best in my first of five elements,**_

_**Welcome to the Chambers of Water.**_

* * *

><p>To Be Continued<p>

A/N- hey guys! sorry I haven't proofread this chapter, so plz tell me of anything that seems wrong. I need to finish my last assignment for Jan, and I have a theory test on the 9th January as well! Christmas iiin...3 days! my brother's b'day is the day after that! woooo! oooooh don't forget the boxing day SALES! Nervous, nervous, but I love my story.

Hope you love it too!

Now, I must leave you all, to eat. Nom nom!

Bye!


	12. Chapter 12

A/N- Hey guys, long time no talk! Sorry for the late update, what with Christmas and New Year, it has been kinda hectic over here. I also have an assignment and presentation in for January, so I'm busy busy busy. My schedule goes like this,

9/01/12- My theory test … (ooooh, yes. I passed!)  
>1001/12- My presentation (hopefully it went ok)  
>1101/12- Deadline for handing in our assignments

The work is KILLING ME, but thankfully I took some time out to complete this chapter!

I know what everyone is thinking, NO! Lucy's gonna DIE! Read on to find out why...!

Enjoy!

P.s- A happy belated New Year, everyone!

* * *

><p>Chapter 11<p>

"Lucy must die"

It was pin drop silence, with Virgo and Loki unable to believe their ears. Sapphire just looked on, regretting even the mention of this method. Loki recovered first, exploding with anger.

"What the hell do you mean, Sapphire? There's no point of transporting Lucy anywhere if she has to bloody die in the process!"

"Wait, brother!" Virgo held out a hand to prevent her colleague from taken another step forward. She kept her eyes on the doctor. "Doctor Sapphire, there is more to this, right? Princess will not really die, will she?"

"That's right, Virgo. However, I beg you both to hear my whole plan before coming to a decision." The lion watched her suspiciously as he took a seat on a free chair.

"Go on."

"This plan was designed by myself and a few other magic trained doctors, for the most extreme cases of escape. It derived from the story of Romeo and Juliet, wherein which the hero took a potion to stage his own death." Unable to stay on her feet, the woman sat down herself. "The best way to hide a magic presence is to remove the source, even for a short instance of time. The ' death' I am proposing is to, theoretically, freeze Lucy's soul in another dimension for the duration of the journey. That way, you will be dealing with only a container of the real thing; the body itself does not require magic energy to run and hence can survive with normal hospital care. You will be transporting a brain dead Lucy and can be assured to reach home undetected."

"... There are several problems to this, aren't there?"

"Unfortunately, yes. We have only ever done five hundred such procedures, 80% of them being trial tests and only having a 70% success rate. Also, a person has a higher success rate the less exposed they are to magic itself; presumably because they do not use a lot magic energy in their everyday life anyway. You will also have much more to carry, bringing into account the normal equipment as well as our magic equipment."

Virgo raised her hand to ask a question, "I understand the overall plan, doctor, but can you tell us what this whole procedure will actually require, for the princess to... 'die' and 'come back to life'?"

"That will require for Lucy's soul and body to separate. You can consider this similar to the opposite poles of a magnet, which are joined together; we have to concentrate a great amount of energy into separating the parts and they will try to come together again. The separation is, in essence the easy part of the procedure. We always have the positive outcome of a healthy living body, and a wandering spirit, joined together by a small thread. However, the success rate falls sharply as the time of their separation increases.

As we keep the soul in another dimension, they tend to wander around, sometimes losing themselves within the world. With their string attachments, it should not be a problem to call back a spirit when you want. On the other hand, if the string was to, by chance, break or even disintegrate, then we are confronted by what is known as a 'lost soul'. We have no way of tracking the soul and the soul itself may not ever arrive back in its original container. This results in our patient's body to remain in a comatose condition, with next to no hope of them ever waking up. As Lucy is already in such a state now, it is not only risky, but may become dangerous for her to go through such a procedure.

From what we are facing, it may be the safest route for you, but you have already been told the risk of such an operation. It is up to you, as her spirits, to discuss the best method for you. I understand that this is not very negotiable, but I must know your decision by the end of the day; it is crucial that Lucy begins her journey, or she may not survive another attack." With that said, Sapphire stepped out to leave the two to their thoughts.

...

"(splash)... blurgh... guys, help meee! I'm... drowning!"

"Argh! Something's got my leg... I can't swim... blurgh blulbu. Lee! Hold on to me!"

On opening the giant gate to the first challenge, all the members were swept away by the water gushing into the hall, filling it up and carrying them to a higher level of the building. With them, the floor beneath them also rose, stopping four feet below the surface by the upper ground itself. The funny part came when two fire mages revealed their shared weakness of swimming. Gray, Blaze, Wendy and the cats just looked at the scene before them, almost embarrassed at the two people splashing frantically, unable to reach the surface.

_(cough)_ "Er, dad, should we tell them that it's a reeaally shallow pool? They look like their suffering."

Gray smirked, patting his son on the back.

"Nah. It's better to leave those idiots to themselves; after all don't they look so cute, Natsu saving his unknown son from the harms of a paddling pool?"

His comment led to a lot of sniggers from the group as Happy suddenly produced a camera.

"Aye! Want a go, Blaze? Use it to rule over Lee, just like how I command Natsu!"

"Haha! World domination, here I come!"

...

Thirty minutes had passed before Natsu and Lee finally made their way to the edge of the pool. It seemed that the object Natsu had felt was, _surprisingly_, the ground! He kept this piece of information to himself, though, so as to not embarrass himself in front of the group and the boy he supposedly... saved.

Said boy was gushing excitedly about the surroundings, having conveniently forgotten about the past incident. The room was a water lover's heaven, full of pools, fountains and even a water statue. Marble and glass decorated the ceiling and walls, reflecting the water in a most awe-inspiring way.

"Wow! Look at this room! Is this really a challenge? 'cause I don't see anything scary or dangerous, or life threatening...WOOAAAH!"

Turning to see what caused the reaction, everyone saw a light forming in the centre of the room; water from every source began to gather, forming into a solid body and a handsome face.

"Welcome to the top floor of the water tower. I am river, your guide in this challenge. Your task is to find a way to pass the gate you opened seven levels below. Your weapons are your abilities and your wisdom; your enemy is water and time. In this confined space, you have a supply of oxygen that will close sources at the beginning of this challenge. This means a limited air supply. In addition to this, your teamwork is crucial and may be the line to your success.

On each floor awaits an opponent. You must elect one person to fight, allowing the rest to move on. If you fail to win, you shall remain on your floor, trapped either until the time runs out, or your team succeeds in completing all the other tasks, seven floors below. Success means you pass to the next round, failure means death of suffocation. You have a time limit of 1 hour and you begin at the turn of this switch.

Good Luck."

The water started to disappear, in its place a lever. Lee looked at the rest questioningly, his hand reaching the metal bar.

"Wait, Lee!" Gray pulled him back, keeping a hold of the boy firmly. "First we have to discuss how to do this. First of all, we need to decide who should be left to fight on each floor; with a time limit, we don't have the luxury of discussing this at the time. The best is for us to predict what might be the best order for us to fight."

"In order to do that, we must first decide who would be the strongest against water magic. Presuming that all use water related weapons, which one of us will most probably succeed in defeating all enemies?"

"Gray would be. He's had training by fighting against Juvia several times and you can expect a great chance of him winning." Wendy started to draw a plan in the air, "Using this as a rough plan of the floors, we should expect about 6 challenges. Gray, as the strongest, I think it's best for you to take up more opponents. That being said, you should fight in the first level and catch up with the rest of us."

The ice mage nodded, ready for action.

"Natsu, I would place you for the second challenge. If, by any chance, Gray could not join us again, we would need our second strength to be close at hand. I would want the boys to go next. As the doctor of the group, I should go as far as possible before fighting; I will make sure to heal you up properly before your challenges." Staring at the boys, the blue haired woman came to a decision. "Ok, I would want Lee to go next; the reason for this is that Blaze uses a similar magic to myself, so know the problems wind users can experience with this element. I would like him to stay close at hand, until it is absolutely necessary for us to part."

On making their final decisions, the group stood nervously around the switch, waiting for a person to volunteer themselves to the task. After a minute, Natsu stepped forward and pulled the lever, promptly opening a door at the far end of the room. Nodding to each other, the group of five people and two cats made their way down, to challenge their first opponents.

No more was said between the nakama.

…

Sapphire Alex looked up from her desk at the sound of a knock. Her patient's spirits stepped inside, evidently wanting to continue their earlier discussion. The woman sighed sadly; never had there been such a tight situation before. Loki and Virgo had to make a choice between two equally disturbing suggestions and, as she would expect, it took the whole time given to come down to this one decision.

Loki let his colleague to tell the doctor; he was barely controlling his emotions from running free and couldn't trust himself from sticking to their choice. It was one that was made after hours of thinking and also emergency contact with the other spirits. In fact, they suggested something that got the two to think over very carefully and eventually agree upon.

"We have come to a decision, but first we'd like to hear if there is a possibility of sending a soul to a specified location."

"We can arrange for the soul to travel in a general direction. If the next dimension is open enough, or large enough, there is a good chance of the soul reaching it. Why, is there a certain dimension you would like to keep her?"

"We would like it for the princess to stay in the celestial spirit's dimension. The spirit king himself is acquainted to Lucy and, having heard from us today, has agreed to watch over her for the period she is separated from her body. The issue is to get her there, but if you can arrange for it to be done, then we choose to travel in this way. His majesty has stationed people at the entrance to the spirit world, so that she can arrive safely."

"That's fine; in fact that would be great! In her state, Lucy will need constant attention, so we all appreciate your king's offer. I shall arrange for this to be done immediately. In the meantime, you must pack all of the necessities for your journey tonight; I will finish at midnight, at which time you must leave immediately. A horse and carriage has been arranged, both of which you can keep. The medical equipment is already stored and ready for immediate use." Walking out of her office, Sapphire didn't look back, or wait for the two people to follow. "I wish you luck."

…

"SHIT!" Gray coughed out a bit of blood. His plan of manipulating the water was not going to plan. On reaching the first challenge, the group had come face to face with a similar figure to their guide. The members left him and moved forward, silently wishing him the best of luck. Confident in his abilities, he had charged into the fight, not heeding the master's warnings; the man had foolishly thought himself slightly above such caution. On knowing the first task was water, Gray was sure that the task was a quick, if slightly hard task. He did not anticipate for the water mage using the ice magic against him.

In the first thirty seconds, it had seemed as if a pace was set. Gray had charged in, allowing no space for the opponent to retaliate; he had landed several hits before proceeding to freeze the enemy. A wrong step meant that his attack came one millisecond too late; the enemy, on seeing this, took the opportunity to swipe at the man and causing major damage. His power left Gray reeling for several seconds too long, making him victim to many more attacks. The small area he did manage to freeze caused the most pain, sharp edges and ice shards left cuts all over his worn body. One had managed to embed itself, deep enough in his back, to even cause an ice mage to shiver from cold.

_This is impossible!_ Gray tried to stand up again, legs and arms shaking from the effort. What the hell had he been thinking? The master had been correct in his judgement of this mission; he had to give credit to the old man though, for trusting in their strengths and believing them capable. And the boys, excited as they were, just went with flow. Luckily enough for him, the opponent was stuck due to ice freezing his legs and slowing him down, so there was time to recover and think. Looking around the room quickly, he noticed nothing but marble walls; the doors had had shut behind him and there were windows or visible ventilation in the room.

_Wait!_ The man paused in his efforts, _Go with the flow_. That was it!

Standing up slowly, Gray Fullbuster reached his full height and stared straight into the eyes of his enemy before turning and walking away.

"You have a name?" he kept to the edge of the room, walking around slowly. He kept an eye out for any mutations or difference in the walls around him.

"…" The man followed him slowly with his eyes, suspicious of any sudden movements.

"You don't talk? Funny, you're just a slave for the mage, then?"

"I'm no slave."

"Then? It seems sad and cruel to remain locked here for an unimaginable amount of time. You must have been very loyal to Marcello." Aha! Gray caught sight of his freedom when the mage bristled up, offended; just a bit more… "To me it would seem only obsession can allow a person to accept this sort of treatment. Unless, you were lovers…?"

"Why, you…!" his foe lunged forward, deeply aggravated by the taunts. It was the chance the ice mage had been looking for.

"ICE MAKE ANCHOR!" Gray's attack was immediately dodged; however, it had done the damage intended. The enemy was rooted to the spot, several metres away from the centre. Perfect.

In the centre was a small magic circle, one that should relate to the room. Going up to it, ignoring the protests of the other man, Gray studied the patterns. Yep, the room was a magic enchanted room; the only thing now was to remove the seal and move forward. However tired he was did not compare to how the others may feel during their fights; after all, he was supposed to be the strongest of the group. Mustering the last of his magic, the man summoned his key to victory.

"ICE MAKE… HAMMER!" the seal smashed to pieces leaving a small hole in the ground. With the seal, he felt the magic drain from the room. Quietly thanking the stars, he turned to face a statue of his opponent. It was a lucky break for him to remember Marcello's letter; after that, it was simply connecting with the idea of the properties of water based magic. Like the liquid itself, it must have a container in order to work at its best. In this case, the container was the room while in many cases, it is the mage themselves. Behind him, the door swung open with a click and Gray stumbled slowly towards it.

Finally. Freedom at last.

...

"…_cy. Lucy?"_

…_.Mmmm?_

"_Oh, thank goodness. I was just thinking that the spell had gone wrong somehow! Don't scare me like that, idiot!"_

"…_ty"_

"_Say that again, I didn't get you the first time."_

"…_Thirsty."_

"_Oh. Here… oops!"_

"_Aquarius! You're drowning her! Here, let me do that… better, Lucy?"_

"_Yea… thanks, Cap…"_

"_What is it? I know when you want to ask a question."_

"_Where… am I?" _

"_You're staying in the spirit world for a while to recuperate. Don't worry, we have permission from the king himself on this matter."_

"…_oh… Lee…?"_

"_Is doing fine, as is Blaze. They miss you a lot. We missed you too, Lucy; don't scare us like that!"_

"_Sorry."_

"_It's ok. Now you go back to sleep. It's been a taxing time for you, what with those incidents and all; don't worry about anything, we'll take care of you. You will see Lee again very soon."_

"_Cap?"_

"_Yes?"_

"_Thank you."_

…

To Be Continued

* * *

><p>GASP. OH EM GEE. LIKE THAT WAS NEVER HAPPENING IN MY STORY…..<p>

Haha, seriously. Jokes aside, hope you enjoyed this chapter; sorry for the late update and if there are errors in my story. I'm rushing it like usual. If you've noticed, I usually tend to fix corrections myself after uploading chapters, so yeah.

Hope you enjoyed!


	13. Chapter 13

A/N- Hey guys. how YOU doin'?

Yep I'm updating my beloved story; again, thanking all of you for the delightful comments. They bring tears to my eyes. Sorry for the delay, but due to my very tight schedule, I can only update this story infrequently. That does NOT mean I have forgotten about it though, so please bear with me.

I'm currently listening to a prince of tennis song, which I think suits this story really well; if you have time, lend an ear: Prince of Tennis – Yuugure

I think the song would fit perfectly with Lucy's current situation; a time during which she cannot do anything while her beloved son is risking his life to find a way of making both their lives easier. She is also held just out of Lee's grasp, making him all the more desperate to find a way of reaching her. A painful enough concept; jeez, it's making me cry….

Anyway, ignore my sentiments and… on with the show!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

**...  
><strong>

"_**I'm baaack!"**_

"_**Welcome back, Aqua. How did the mission go?"**_

"_**How are Lee and... ?"**_

"_**The mission went well and Lucy, Lee's fine. He was clever to call me at the beginning of his match, so the water mage didn't stand a chance. No matter how much magic they use, it cannot defeat a person in full control of the situation. I am not so sure of the rest as they all fought separate battles, so I cannot report as to how Blaze is doing."**_

"_**That is fine, Aquarius. Thank you for the hard work"**_

…

On reaching the end of the tunnel, Gray found himself in an empty resting area. Knowing his limits, he took a seat and partook in the food provided; he was not ready for another challenge anytime soon. After some time, he felt better; the refreshments were packed with energy and were a sure treat for tired mages in between battles. Gray packed some away for later use, before resuming his trek to find the other. He made use of a spiralling staircase which brought him to all the resting stops after a challenge, most of them showing some sign of use. Several floors down, he met up with Lee and Blaze, both of whom seemed to be in a better shape than him.

"Dad!" Blaze stood up excitedly, when the man appeared in the doorway. He quickly pulled his father to a nearby sofa and forced an unopened bottle in his hand. Lee stood up and proceeded to help with any visible injuries, sterilising cuts and bandaging any serious wounds. He gasped on seeing the state of Gray's back.

"What happened?" the concern brought a small smile to the ice mage's lips.

"Apparently, using ice against water is a double edged sword in a battle, especially if you go up against a really good magic user. Where are the rest?"

"Well, Charle and Wendy are still fighting and Natsu… he, just… why don't you look for yourself?" Blaze gestured to a screen Gray had not noticed on the opposite side of the room. On it was an image of his rival, banging on the walls and demanding his freedom.

"What happened to him?"

"His challenge was to defeat the mage and use the water released as a lever to open the door. Unfortunately, he didn't bother listening to the warnings given and evaporated the whole water source and defeated his enemy in default. It obviously leaves him trapped until we can get to the main controls at the bottom. He's useless until we finish all the challenges for this element. We have one more to defeat on the next floor and we're free to move on."

"Heh, stupid as always. Okay, then, I'll complete the final challenge." Gray did not notice the worried glances from the children as he said this. He was injured very badly from the ice and even his harsh training in icy conditions could not have prepared him for such attacks. The skin around his wound was numb therefore making it impossible for him to even comprehend how bad his back looked to Lee and Blaze; if he continued forward in this state, it could damage him severely and that was not an option.

The kids signalled to each other subtly before going into action. Blaze had received an intense healing pill from Wendy before his challenge; it was super effective but it also had a strong side effect, therefore was not recommended for those mages who still needed to battle. He had slipped the pill to Lee who silently helped dissolve it in a cup of tea over a gentle flame. After taking a few sips of the beverage, Gray was knocked out cold and was put to rest on the small bed on the corner. He would not move for the next several hours, at least. Now came the decision of who was to take up the challenge of fighting the last water mage; Lee could use Aquarius again, or his fire magic and Blaze could make use of the manipulation techniques. Either way was to the benefit of the group, hence making them equally strong. However, Blaze stepped forward in the end. Having never used his ability in a real battle, he wanted to begin now. The previous challenge had proved non too difficult, during which he used wind magic to make his opponent unable to maintain control of the water. Lee supported his decision and backed down from the challenge, choosing to support his friend from the resting area.

"I'll watch over your dad and wait for Wendy here. You just focus on winning."

Acknowledging his best friend with a nod, Blaze moved down the steps to the last challenge room. He could already sense the difference in powers from the previous mages; this person was, without a doubt, a very strong magic user.

Upon taking his first step into the room, Blaze was immediately greeted with thunderous sounds from every direction. A new room was created, changing the entire battlefield. Twice the size of the original room and seven times the height, the room now took the shape of a tower. From the walls, steps appeared and continued to appear, curling their way to the top. Above him, the manipulator could see six floors, floating equal distances apart and all semi-transparent, so as to still give him a view of the entire place without trouble.

"Welcome to the last challenge from the water tower and congratulations for getting here with minimal injuries." In front of Blaze, River appeared to present the task. "For this, you will make use of the whole area provided to defeat your opponent. He is the strongest water magic user and can make use of anything within this room; the walls, floors and stairs have all been constructed with water, which your foe may choose to remove, make use of, or even blend in with throughout the duration of your battle. Please make note that you only have 2 minutes left to complete this challenge. Good luck."

With everything said, River vanished again leaving no room for questions. This suited the boy fine, as he knew the more time he wasted, the lower the chance of escaping the place alive. Spotted the familiar lever in the middle of the room, Blaze took a deep breath and activated the gate to his final challenger.

…

Lee noticed Wendy come through the door, followed closely by Charle. He immediately brought her to a chair and gave both the woman and the cat a glass of water. It had been approximately seven minutes since Blaze had gone to the last room and he knew there wasn't much time or air supply left to last. However, Lee trusted his friend's power and knew that, even by a scrape, the quieter of two would succeed. During that time, Gray had not moved an inch, displaying the potency of the pill. Natsu had given up trying to get free, instead using this time to rest.

"How was the challenge?" Wendy took a deep drink before answering.

"It went quite well. Other than a few scratches, there weren't any major damages. I believe that Blaze was the same." To this, Lee nodded his agreement. At this time, she saw the state Gray was in. "I can't say the same for Gray, I'm afraid. What happened to him?"

"Seems like his ice magic wasn't the best solution. Made the water sharper and it hit him hard in the back. Blaze used the pill on him and took his place in the last challenge. Natsu's trapped until he finishes."

"Okay. How long does he…"

Wendy's sentence was cut off by the noise. All the gates started to move, revealing a small route that had, until then, been unknown. From behind them, Natsu appeared, looking confused and slightly sleepy. Happy was still resting in his arms. Water appeared and started to lift the ice mage, taking him deep into the tunnel. The rest of the group followed him automatically, also slightly confused but given no chance for explanation. They were silent upon reaching a small door which opened to reveal Blaze who stood in front of River and several others in the large tower-like room. He turned to greet them, revealing a face of joy as well as the same bafflement that was affecting the rest.

Natsu decided to break the silence. "Hey there, Blaze. Does this mean you finished the challenge, or something?"

The young man shook his head slowly. "No. I had barely even started. I was about to attack when the man disappeared and these people came."

River stepped forward, evidently the spokesperson of the group. "We are very sorry for the confusion. Before I can continue to explain, allow me to introduce to my counterparts who are responsible for the other element stages." Gesturing from his left, he continued "Please meet Aria of the air, Steel of the metal, Tsubasa of the wind, and Teine of the Fire stage."

To their introduction, each person bowed and came forward. Not understanding what was happening, the group just waited until River finished.

"The reason for the sudden stop is due to the fact that this young man has already taken this challenge before. It is a rule of ours to only permit one chance per mage, during which you might fail or succeed. To be exact, Blaze Natsume challenged us eleven years and two days ago."

Blaze looked shocked at the revelation, a feeling that passed through the group. Lee frowned slightly at this; from what he could see, Blaze could not have participated in this challenge, especially since he was barely born at the time.

"Wait a minute, that doesn't make any sense! He was a baby at that time! Barely even born! Are you mistaking him for another mage?"

"Our records are perfectly in order and will not confuse a mage's abilities. We detect through the magic powers emitted in a mage's attacks and can, on most occasions, immediately sense an old challenger's aura. The reason for the late notice, however, is due to the fact that this man is in possession of several auras and abilities, and can easily change between them. The ability he challenged with before only appeared in the last battle, leading to our discovery. Unfortunately, due to this, we cannot allow you to fight and thus, will make this whole challenge void. I'm afraid the rules dictate that you also cannot retry."

The decision sparked outrage from Natsu, who stepped forward threateningly.

"What about our mission, then? We came all this way to get the energy crystal and complete a mission! What kind of fucking nonsense are you talking about? Are you saying that we came all this way for such bullshit talk from a water clone? HUH!"

With every word, Blaze seemed to shrink and retreat into himself. Though he may not have meant it, the fire mage had hurt the boy deeply, causing him to shed a few silent tears. His feelings of guilt and perplexity was visible to all and Lee, upon seeing the state he was in, took him aside and comforted him quietly. At Wendy's order, Happy and Charle restrained Natsu from attacking the spokesman. She looked straight at him, speaking firmly and quietly. Having calmed the man down, she then faced River.

"From the way this place has been constructed, I can understand that you cannot change the rules made by your master years ago. However, it is vital for us to obtain the energy crystal; a woman's life depends on it. Is there no other way for us to do this?"

For the first time, the water spokesman looked almost human. He rubbed his head, almost sheepishly, before looking to the other element mages.

"The thing is, you did not allow me to complete what I was about to say."

"There is more?"

"Do you have another way to obtain such an energy source?" the man raised his hand to silence the people.

"You do have access to the energy crystal. Even if it had not been collected on the day, the crystal is actually owned by Master Blaze anyway and can be collected anytime." Seeing no comprehension in what was being said, River continued "You were all implying that Master Blaze had failed the first time he challenged this cave, hence all the commotion. However, that isn't true. The truth of the matter is that Master Blaze is the only mage ever to have succeeded all challenges, having done this several hours after his birth."

…

To Be Continued

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><p>AN- WHAT! I can already imagine what you're thinking, why such a twist? Don't worry, it's all planned out. There are many reasons as to why I did this, mostly because it is the only way I can connect with future chapters.

Again I apologise for late entry, but I did this chapter when I could. My life is REALLY that busy right now. Hopefully the next will be out sooner, so as to make for the delay.

That being said, in the meantime how about recommending me (and other readers) some good fanfics in your review? This way, we can all benefit: you get time to read the works of other writers, I get a chance to find inspiration and do some corrections while using another story as a guide (NOTE: That's just my way of proofreading. No judging)

Thanks again, darlings!


	14. Chapter 14

A/N- Hey guys, just updating the latest chapter. Won't talk too much, so enjoy!

P.s- Currently listening to The Fray ….

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><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>

"_**You were all implying that Master Blaze had failed the first time he challenged this cave, hence all the commotion. However, that isn't true. The truth of the matter is that Master Blaze is the only mage ever to have succeeded all challenges, having done this several hours after his birth."**_

**=3=3=3=3=3=3=3=3=3=3=3=3=3=3=3=3=3=3=**

_Eleven years before…_

The Choir Forest. Where extreme was taken to a new level and where only the bravest, and most foolish, would even think of venturing. Covering an area of 100 kilometres and possessing trees that reached the stars, the inhabitants of Choir lived in pure darkness. Silence would greet travellers and silence would swallow them whole, with no guarantee of surviving, let alone returning. The most feared place in the whole of Fiore, and also the place where legends began.

However, it was a place that was never forgotten. Myths of heroes and stories of ancient mages who endured all to witness the eternal choir. A small patch of land believed to be the closest to heaven on earth; the only place where the sun shone brightly and the beauty was defined in the everlasting choir of the wind.

In such a forest, a young woman could be seen, running from a large number of royal soldiers. Arms curved protectively around her bulging centre, she kept up her pace. All that she could think of was escape; escape from her prison, from her child's father. She prayed in good faith for a miracle to happen, in the forest of miracles. Her pants were growing heavier, contractions becoming stronger; if she did not find shelter soon, she would die from exhaustion alone. She thanked the lord for small favours. The darkness allowed for easier escape, while the silence consumed her echoes. Unable to conceal her pain, she screamed before dropping to her knees. In desperation, she felt around feebly for a steady hold before falling into darkness.

….

River dropped to his knees, instant fatigue overcoming his body. Was this the sensation of defeat? The instant this strange couple had entered the cave; a strong force had overcome the magical components that controlled the events of the cave. All elements were defeated and the final door swung open, without further ado.

To think that the five representatives had stood guard to such a door for decades, just to be bested by a baby. A baby, still connected to a seriously injured mother.

The challengers did not the energy enough, even to help the woman. Dead off their feet, the defeat did not come empty handed; the physical and emotional pain was unbearable, having to be endured all together. Having never experienced such sensations, it felt all the more worse.

Despite their training in hospitality, it was apparent that the first victor was not to receive the welcome he deserved. No celebrations, no sparkles; River could not do much but depend on the child's cries to call for immediate help.

…

It was the sound of a wailing baby that woke him up. Residing in the unknown parts of his family domain, he knew that it was impossible for any fully grown human to appear past the security, forget a baby. After the dark, such cries were like explosions, a wake up call in this dead environment.

With slow moving fingers and hesitance, he opened the door to discover an unbelievable miracle before him.

…

Upon opening her eyes, she found herself in a blanket of familiarity. The warmth of an unseen fire and the quiet whispers of comfort greeted her. She looked up into the eyes of her long lost best friend.

"Tony." She whispered gratefully "Tony!"

She wept silently, hugging the young man beside her tightly. The man returned the gesture, hiding clenched fists at her condition.

"Shh, Carina. It's ok now, you're doing fine."

"My baby, Tony." Her voice was barely a whisper anymore, the strain too much. "They…they tried to…"

Tony silenced her mouth with a gentle kiss. Another word and he might lose control, in anger and in anguish at the way his best friend was treated.

"He's doing fine." He smiled, "He must be, or he wouldn't have transported you so easily to this place, right?"

He gestured her towards a corner of the room, where a baby boy could be seen sleeping peacefully.

…

Carina Natsume held her baby for the first time, feeling the tears start afresh. Only one week old and she could already sense his strength. After all, he did save them both from certain death.

Upon sensing his mother's distress, the child had instinctively summoned enough magic to teleport himself and Carina to a place of deep feelings. A cave within which 5 elemental challengers were ready for battle and guarded by, no other than her dear friend, Tony Marcell. A cave that, no matter what the circumstance, only allowed strangers to pass through after victory over all stages.

Blaze Natsume laid quietly in her lap, taking in the surroundings for the first time. He held the finger of his mother tightly, content with her idle rocking. To think that such a child could be placed victorious was miraculous, to say the least; completing this together with watching over an unconscious lady was unthinkable. However, it happened and Carina was placed at the front of Tony's house at the end of it all, to be tended to a few moments later.

The only side effects of such an event was the paralysis from waist down; the intensity of the event added to her dangerous pregnancy did not allow her to survive without a scar. The low measures of magical energy in her body could not cater to the unborn child and her body at the same time, so one had to be found lacking. The healing process became so slow after birth, to a point that magic stopped flowing below a certain point; but Carina preferred the lost of her legs rather than the loss of her son. The added fact that she could not step out of the cavern did not put her down, but instead gave hope to the idea of her son growing up safely.

Even if killed her, Carina was not going to allow Blaze to live the same life she did.

…

Tony watched the two for a while, before placing the dinner tray on a table for Carina later. To think that such a thing happened in his absence was not unbelievable; after all, they did come from a village of strong traditions. An opinion from one of the higher positions was all it took for villagers to kill an innocent person, whether it was right or wrong. On this occasion, it was Carina who became the scapegoat. Not even the most understanding elder would favour a slave against the village, meaning that this was a battle that she had fight all alone.

The mage walked away quietly. Being a mage of no known background, he had always been the outsider; always looking into the lives of the villagers. It didn't matter that he was raised together with their children, or that he contributed greatly to the economy; he was never welcomed. His great relief was the day of his escape, the day he finally found a piece of his family. A letter entailing his life and story, written by a living grandfather. In his excitement of such a fact, he had run to tell his best friend, Carina, a lone slave girl with differing eyes. Never once thinking to look back, he left the village to train with Marcelo, his relative and renowned magician. In later years, he lived to regret that fact.

That same guilt and regret came back tenfold, crushing him slowly. To think that he stayed close by and could not help; to think that his friend, his unrequited love, Carina had suffered under the hands of her own village and that he was not there to protect her was horrifying. What had happened that made the villagers so angry? Did it have any relation to the child in her arms?

Was this all related to the father of this child?

To Be Continued…

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><p>AN – Hey guys! short chapter, but the next is coming up soon. Sorry if the name is not the same as before, as I have typed up many names for Blaze's mother within my drafts. So just tell me if I had typed up something different earlier.

Hope you enjoy this chapter!

P.S- it may sound a little weird, but everything is gonna become clear, soon enough.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Hey guys! next chappy up! Uppy goo…. (tryna be Mario, but doesn't work)

Lol

Enjoooy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 15<strong>

Blaze Natsume. A child amongst adults, he held the responsibility of the world in his fingertips. Currently residing in the cave of challenges, he was not a boy of much opinion. Quietly watching over his frail mother and already learning to cope with the hardships of living. Having never seen the outside world, he possessed an ethereal appearance; pale skin paired with black hair covering one of his differing eyes. His father, Tony Marcell, was a mage of unrivalled ability. Already, some of that ability, or talent, was present in the next generation. Though not related by blood, the family was held together by a much stronger bond; love.

At four years of age, Blaze was already capable of completing tasks that an average ten year old would have difficulty carrying out. His mother taught him the ways of the world through books, while his father would bring him to the caves at times of maintenance and periodic checkups, to learn and practice together with the elements. He was independent on day-to-day activities and was already adept in cooking and cleaning. His intelligence was seen in his choice of books and his work pieces. There was not a simple drawing in sight; every painting produced was up to calibre with famous artists. Pieces were so detailed; they were likened to real photographs.

Through it all, Blaze was happy; he was surrounded by people he loved and was not one to complain of duties. His serious nature had constantly worried Carina and Tony, for no child his age should grow up with such weight on their shoulders. They already held a guilty conscience over his restrained freedom; there were no children to play with, nor an 'outside world' to explore. However, any attempt to spoil him was rejected by the child himself. He, himself, wanted to do work, to fulfil his duties; he had learnt to cook and clean voluntarily. If ever questioned why, he would always reply with the same answer.

_**"Because I want to help people I love."**_

…

They had been discovered.

The explosion was earth shattering, blowing up their safe haven. Now was not the time to hesitate in their escape. In a predestined move, the elements had removed all traces of their activity in the cave; with them, they brought the magic guides and prizes to another destination several miles away.

All that remained was the small family of three, who were trapped at the back, almost totally buried in rubble. Tony was the first to emerge, quickly rushing to Carina, the worst victim. At the sight of her, he knew that it was already too late. Legs trapped within her smashed wheelchair, she lay beneath a falling rock; one large enough to crush her into pieces. Behind him, he heard his child get up and swiftly turned to hug him, in an attempt to seal his eyes. It was the wrong move; Blaze wrenched out of his grasp and watched his mother in her last moments. His breathing became heavy, eyes starting to water. But he listened to his father's commands.

"Don't cry now, Blaze! They'll find mummy."

In the time it took for the villagers to locate their home, they had exited the choir forest, intent in finding new shelter. Blaze was sobbing into the shoulder of his father, heart wrenching cries of despair. The situation was tragic and Tony had to find a hideout soon, if only to protect his son from further danger.

…

A man led the group into the rubble, searching for signs of the fugitives. He needed, had to get hold of the weapon, no matter what it took. Only with Carina's child in his hand would he fulfil his desire in controlling what he wished. Only with Carina's child would he finally complete one part of his plan to dominate the world. Dragon Claw was ready to finally make true to their words, even if it meant that he used his own kin to get there.

Sniffing around, he finally found signs of life. Blood. The metallic smell of glory. Walking to the place of evidence, he smiled lasciviously at the sight before him. There she lay, his wife of seven years. Carina Cleargold, formally Carina Natsume. Wife of royalty and the mother of his son, weapon of destruction.

"Well look at that, Carina. For all that you did to protect him, that child will soon be my hands." He laughed quietly to himself, "You were never in a position of power, so why defy those who were? It made your death much more painful than it should have been, darling. Look what happened when you took what was, what is, mine. I would have preferred you alive, to witness your failure."

With a gesture, he had fellow villagers pick her corpse up, to be unceremoniously thrown into the back of a truck.

"Don't throw it away yet. We may still have use for her leftovers."

…

It was nightfall. Gasping for breath, the pair had finally reached a small town. Blaze had fallen asleep still whimpering for his mother. In no moment did Tony release him from the strong hold in his arms; the boy was in no state to be left alone, even to relieve his arms. They had travelled since dawn that day, making them that much more tired. Sneaking into a small stable, Tony sought refuge for the night, to rest and prepare for more travelling early the next morning.

Tears slid down his face. In all the action, Tony did not have time to mourn for his beloved. An instant was all it took to take away the one who held his heart. No planning, no tearful goodbyes; just the sight of a motionless corpse, broken and battered. After all he had promised, he could not prevent the enemies from finding her. The feeling of despair was overwhelming, almost enough to drown him. Never to see her smile, her optimism in dark situations; the woman he grew up with, grew to love and cherish. To know, with no doubt, that she was now gone. The feeling of loss was great, the hurt never ending.

Into the night, a strange weeping sound was heard in the stables of a local hotel. Many suspected, some dared to look, but nobody found the culprit. The sound held much sadness, enough to stop the hardest of hearts in their tracks, always thinking twice before committing a sin. Over weeks and months, no answer was found for such an event, but many tales were told of the event. Any person to have heard the sound of such sorrowful weeping lost the will to perform evil; it was the sound of remorse.

…

His only saving grace was Blaze. If there was a reason to live, it was to protect Blaze. Over the months, the child had become a doll; never speaking, nor eating properly. His face held the stories of tragedy, eyes having seen too much. Doctors feared a memory loss, due to the trauma; any talk down memory lane resulted in the child going berserk. Withholding his silence, he would destroy the things around him; sometimes with magic, sometimes by hand. Carina was never mentioned and Tony continued to travel, in hopes of finding the way to help his son.

Two years had come to pass, when they stepped foot into a city known for their medics. Saffron town, a place not far from Magnolia. Famous for centuries, it was a place well known and pictured in books around the world. On seeing the place of such lively atmosphere, Blaze finally smiled. He tugged on his father's shirt, saying quietly as they walked.

"Mummy would have liked this place. Let's stay here."

**To Be Continued…**

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><p>AN: Aww, my baby!

While writing this chapter, I just noticed the irony in naming the (adoptive) son of an ice mage, Blaze. However, that only came to be because I had originally planned for the boy to be adopted by Lucy, herself; plotholes appeared and I came up with the best solution- Gray ..Gray.. Gray Fullbuster! ( Sorry, been so long that I had to look up the surname)

Anyway, I'm off to have a honey lemon combo after which I'll be cooking dinner, sooo see ya!


	16. NOOOOOOOOOOOTE

Hey guys!

My current schedule:

Mon- work

Tue- uni

Wed- uni

Thu- uni

Fri- work

Sat- uni

Sun- ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzz

As you can see, ive got a full week, barely any time for sleep

My work days are frm 9- around 5;30

My uni days are worse; can be from 6:45- 7;30. I live 2 hrs away, so I wake up EXTRA early and get home EXTRA late.

Someone may notice that I go to uni on Saturday…. Its because I have to work with a business. It's the WORST….. I seriously have to change trains 3 times; and lets not forgt the 25 minute hike up a steep hill either.

I apologise; I did say I may have more time, but the less commitments I take on, the more work I have to do. (I mean, I used to do martial arts but had to stop)

The only thing I can promise is that my mock exam is in a few days. HOPEFULLY after that I myt have those lecture days a little free. Also my business pitch is coming up as well, so wish me luck!

**Small fact for the story…. Juvia? Yeah, shes not meant to exist (not yet anyway)… any sign of her was a ghost in disguise yea? **

**Also? Carina, Karina… Ill make my mind up of the spelling when I can get to it**

**Fact 3: Blaze's dog is actually still around, just as silent as Happy. I really should remember to bring these animals in… maybe a short story around them? Nah too busy**

**ADIOS AMIGOS**


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